Mrs Ed's Research and Recipes

2012 and Interesting Article on Gut Flora and Rheumatoid Arthritis

2012-01-24T11:56:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite 2011 photos, my son and my mom

I did not mean to take an unintentional blog hiatus. I was accidentally glutened at Thanksgiving. It was only slight, somehow I ingested a crumb. I only hurt for a couple of days but was a little off and brain foggy. I think it would have passed quickly but it was the holidays.... If I had stayed away from sweets I would have been fine. It was not the time for "just a little won't hurt thinking". Our dry windy winter weather had me in and out of a couple of sinus infections that had me dragging. Then I had a nasty bout with food poisoning, which left my colon cleaner than anything a GI doctor could prescribe. When the day of body aches went away I woke up feeling so clear headed, something I had not felt in a couple of months. The next day I got up and felt draggy again, dreading that the sinus infection had returned and feeling a bit defeated. When I stepped outside the sky was an orange grey hazy color. So I was happy to know it wasn't just me, I was responding like everyone else to the lovely dust bowl that blew in... I'm ready for Spring.Usually I do a post at the beginning of each year looking behind and looking ahead. This one is a little late, but better late than never.

I am hoping to do a few interview posts this year. There are more and more grain-free cookbook authors and SCD stories coming out, it's nice to get to know the people behind them. My husband and I own a small business, which is slow and struggling at the moment. I thought I could take advantage of the slow time and I am attempting to put my own research down into a book. It's so daunting, we'll see how far I get. If I don't get a book done, at least I'll have some great stuff to post here, so either way it's a win-win.Since I will be spending more time researching, I hope to come across more articles to pass on to you. On today's hunt, when I googled "THE GUT AND RHEUMATIC DISEASES" a whole mess of interesting stuff came up including this one, The Microbiome and rheumatoid arthritis. I haven't had time to muddle through all of it, but I was glad to see they making more connections with RA and gut flora. There is a connection with maternal RA and autism and now both are starting to show abnormal gut flora. Maybe this will move us more in the right direction than just blaming genes.

To ring in the New Year (a bit late I know) here's a photo of a bulletin board project I did in 2011:

Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free - Dips and Dippers Recipe Round Up

2011-12-28T10:48:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the December 2011 Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free. This is a gluten-free blog carnival that has been going for several years! All recipes are gluten-free and you can see past recipes at Naomi Devlin's Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried. This months theme is Dips and Dippers, perfect for New Year's cocktail parties.

The first entree is 7-Layer Mediterranean Dip from Our Gluten-Free Reality. This mother and daughter gluten-free duo tempt us with refreshing and zesty flavors from the sunny Mediterranean:

Luckily they decided to multi-dip with Grape Salsa, what a great way to make the holiday bright:

And this one, Christmas Salsa, which they described as "a totally different flavor, almost a chutney, but raw, powerful flavor":

Lisa, from Allergy-Free Vintage Cookery, brings her Spicy Red Pepper Dip to the party:

Andy, from The Rice of Life, offers Baked Vegan Taquitos that are also dairy and soy-free:

No party is complete without something crunchy. The fabulous Naomi of Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried has a how to for these crispy Cheese Crackers:

Stephanie, the Dairy Free Diva has this new take on the traditiional cheeseball: "Gluten-Free Goats Milk Cheese Ball with Bacon and Olives":

Here's a new way to put carrots at the cocktail table (rather than setting them next to the ranch dip), my submission is Roasted Carrot Hummus:

I am also double dipping, this is Hawaiian Dip, which is a cinch to throw together:

Here's another take on hummus, Roasted Garlic Lentil Hummus Dip from Amber's The Tasty Alternative. It is also SCD friendly:

Have a wonderful New Year. Be sure to check out She Let Them Eat Cake in January. Maggie is hosting and her theme is Foods That Heal.

Hawaiian Dip (SCD, Nut-Free)

2011-12-28T09:58:00.000-08:00

I really don't know if they eat this in Hawaii. I am just paying homage to all of the recipes that call anything with pineapple in it "Hawaiian". This is one of my submissions for "Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free".

Hawaiian Dip

8 oz of Farmers Cheese, or Dry Curd Cottage Cheese, or Dripped Yogurt, or Cream Cheese (cream cheese is not SCD legal)
8 oz can Crushed Pineapple in juice
1/3 cup finely chopped Green Onions, include tender green portion

If you are using cream cheese (not SCD legal), warm it to room temperature. Drain can of pineapple but reserve the juice.

Combine cheese/yogurt, drained pineapple, and green onions. If you need to adjust the taste then add pineapple juice, one teaspoon at a time until flavor is just right. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving.

Dripped Yogurt "Cream Cheese" (SCD)

2011-12-28T09:44:00.000-08:00

Yogurt that has been dripped for 24 hours will have the consistency of cream cheese and is great for dips. Dripping removes the liquid, called whey. Dripped yogurt is a cinch to make. If using homemade yogurt has been prepared in an SCD legal manner, it will contain almost no lactose.
You will need a colander or strainer to hold the amount of yogurt you want to drip:

Then you want to have a bowl that will hold the colander and have plenty of room for the whey to drip into. You will be amazed at how much whey will drip out.

Drape two pieces of cheese cloth, each long enough to hang over one inch on either side. Lay the pieces in a cross:

Then add the yogurt and place in the fridge for 24 hours to drip:

Then scrape the "cheese" into a bowl and it should keep in the fridge for up to two weeks. Two quarts of yogurt will make about two and a half cups yogurt cheese.

Books of Year Past (2011) and Year Ahead

2011-12-20T09:29:00.000-08:00

Here's a few book I read in 2011, along with my cat Sylvie:
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch: I was probably the last person to read this too. Once in awhile I get my hands on a mainstream book, but usually long after everyone else has read it.
Why Dirt Is Good by Mary Ruebush: I am trying to learn more about how the immune system works and she writes in an easy to read style.
Blinded by Science by Matthew Silverstone: Very fascinating account of research on magnetic fields and vibrations and how they affect our health. Written in an easy to understand style.
The Autism Book by Dr. Robert Sears: He sums up most of what is available if you have a child on the spectrum, from therapies to biomedical approaches. This is a great starting point for parents. I wish I had it in 2007.
When Your Doctor Is Wrong: Hepatitis B Vaccine & Autism by Judy Converse: This book is mostly autobiographical of her life with an autistic son, and many of their struggles.
Special-Needs Kids Eat Right by Judy Converse: She's not very pro-SCD, but it was still an interesting book. This would be very helpful if you have a child on the GFCF diet.
Small Blessings by Celestine Sibley: I lived for several years in Atlanta Georgia and Celestine Sibley was my favorite columnist at the Atlanta Journal Constitution. This book has short essays on matters of everyday life.
Will Write for Food by Dianne Jacob: A great book on food writing of all types: from blogging about food to cookbooks, etc.
We Band of Mothers: Autism, My Son and the Specific Carbohydrate Diet by Judith Chinitz: I really enjoyed this book. She writes about her experiences with her son and the SCD. Parts of the book are also written by Elaine Gottschall herself and Dr. Sidney Baker. I am hoping to do a review on this book soon.
Herbal Antibiotics by Stephen Harrod Buhner: I wanted to have a couple books like this on hand for reference. I have been able to avoid antibiotics on a couple of occasions.
The Antibiotic Alternative by Cindy L. A. Jones: Another good one.
Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes: I love Taubes writing. He incorporates a lot of research and is very interesting at the same time.
Making a Good Brain Great by Daniel G. Amen: The author is a doctor that specializes in brain scans. It is fascinating to see the brain scans that go with different disorders and injuries, etc. It gives you a different look at the brain along with tips on sharpening your own brain. Easy to read.
You can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay: I read this to help with stress but it can help with so many issues we have in life. I loved it so much I am giving it for Christmas to many relatives.
The Source Field Investigations: The Hidden Science and Lost Civilizations behind the 2012 Prophecies by David Wilcock: A bit science fiction-ish and maybe even "out there" but it was like reading a really good episode of Stargate.
Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America by Robert Whitaker: I saved the best for last. This was one of those books that was hard to put down. With the explosion of mental illness and roughly forty percent of the population dealing with something mentally related, he asks if modern treatment with psychotropic medicines has resulted in a higher success rate for the patients that take them. The answer is surprising. The book also looks into the psychiatric and pharmaceutical partnership that has changed the way we treat mental illness.

I have a very ambitious reading list for 2012. I happen to be a very slow reader, so this may spill over into 2013...and maybe beyond.

Folks This Ain't Normal by Joel Salatin: Joel is pretty much a hero in the real food circles.
Hotel Bemelmans by Ludwig Bemelmans: About the seedy lives of restaurant and hotel workers. (I spent much of my twenties working in the restaurant industry.)
The Lives of a Cell by Lewis Thomas: Catching up since I didn't pay attention in biology class.
Writing About Your Life by Willian Zinsser: I am currently reading this to try to improve upon my own writing skills. The author writes about his own life and then tells you the mechanics behind why he wrote what he did.
Clean House, Clean Planet by Karen Logan: Determined to get more chemicals out of our home
The Web-Savvy Patient: An Insider's Guide to Navigating the Internet When Facing a Medical Crisis by Andrew Schorr: Having found many answers to our health issues thanks to the Internet, I thought this would be interesting.
The Dollar Meltdown by Charles Goyette: In light of our lovely economy.
When Money Dies by Adam Fergusson: Throwing in a little history. This one is about post World War I Germany when inflation ran out of control.
Celestine Sibley, A Granddaughter's Reminiscence by Celestine Sibley Fleming: This is a re-read. I lost my grandmother in 2010 and have been wanting to read this book again.
Feed Your Genes Right by Jack Challem: Interesting title
Dog On It by Spencer Quinn: In a effort to expand my horizons beyond non-fiction. I love animals and books with a sense of humor. I used to read Janet Evanovich before my son was born, I might try to squeeze in some of hers too.
Wheat Belly by William Davis: Got to see what all the hype is, although he will be preaching to the choir.
Unconditional Parenting by Alfie Kohn: Alfie Kohn writes on education and parenting. He's one of those authors that you may not always agree with but he is always thought provoking. Always picking apart and questioning the status quo.
The Secret Spiritual World of Children by Tobin Hart: Just the title alone has my attention.
The Man Who Couldn't Eat by Jon Reiner: I saw a review for this on My Cranky Gut.
Organizing from the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern: Will 2012 be the year I am finally organized?
The Antioxidant Miracle by Lester Packer and Carol Coleman: Just wanting to learn more about antioxidants.
Food Politics by Marion Nestle: I have been wanting to read this for awhile.
An Alternative Approach to Allergies by Theron G. Randolph and Ralph W. Moss: This book was published in 1979, but I love books that were years ahead of their time. Here is an excerpt from the inside flap: "An Alternative Approach to Allergies" proposes a radically new approach to these medical problems and proves that many physical and mental illnesses are caused by our increasingly contaminated environment".

I'm sure I have forgotten a few, and this dosen't include the droves of cookbooks I hope to read. I am worse than a child in a toy store. Do you have any favorites for 2011? Anything on your wish list?

Roasted Carrot Hummus (SCD, GFCF, Nut-Free)

2011-12-13T15:26:00.000-08:00

There are many different versions of garbanzo bean-less hummus. The first one I had ever tasted was a black bean hummus and it was delicious. This one uses carrots. Roasting the carrots brings out their sweetness which contrasts nicely with the cumin. This is also my submission for this month's "Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free", hosted by yours truly. The theme is Dips and Dippers and the fabulous recipes are already coming in. Be sure to check back at the end of the month to see the recipe round-up.

Roasted Carrot Hummus

2 cups of petite baby cut carrots, you can use an equivalent of regular carrots
About 1 TBSP Olive Oil
Sea Salt
1/3 cup Sesame Tahini
3 TBSP Lemon Juice
1 Clove Garlic
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin

To roast carrots: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss carrots with olive oil and sea salt, and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, just until fork tender. Cool.

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until fairly smooth. If it is too thick you can add a few drops of olive oil or water.

Here are some more garbanzo bean-less hummus ideas:

Roasted Carrot Hummus from She Let Them Eat Cake

Black Bean Hummus from Life's Ambrosia (Note for SCDers: Do not use canned beans, use properly prepared black beans)

Herbed Lima Bean Hummus from Epicurious.com

Beet Hummus from Elana's Pantry

Zucchini Hummus from Girl Cooks World

Red Kidney Bean Hummus from Adventures in Tralaland (Note for SCDers: do not use canned beans use properly prepared beans)

Red Lentil Hummus from Chow (Note for SCDers: Properly prepare lentils)

This post is linked to Monday Mania, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Real Food Wednesdays, Real Food 101, and Fight Back Fridays.

The Alchemy of Flavor

2011-12-10T05:49:00.000-08:00

Tweaking Tastes and Creating Cravings with Morley Safer. Stephen Guyenet posted on this 60 Minutes report today. It goes behind the closed doors of the flavor creating industry. It also sheds some light on why the ingredient "natural flavor" gives you no idea of what you are putting into your body. Morley does a great job of presenting both sides respectfully. For those of you starting the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, GAPS, Paleo or any other diet forsaking processed foods, I hope this will help strengthen your motivation.

Go Ahead Honey...It's Gluten-Free - Theme for December

2011-12-01T13:58:00.000-08:00

I'm thrilled be hosting this month's Go Ahead Honey...It's Gluten-Free. It is a gluten-free blog carnival started by the fabulous Naomi Devlin of Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried. I wanted to keep in the holiday spirit so the theme is Dips and Dippers. Do you have a savory or sweet spread, topper or dip that's the perfect gluten-free hors d'oeuvre? Or a crunchy cracker or crudites? Do share. Here's how to join the cocktail party:

-Post a gluten-free recipe for a dip and/or dipper and link it to this carnival. Your recipe will need to be gluten-free, but your blog does not have to be. If you do not have a blog you can email me your recipe with photo.

-Send me the link to your entry and a photo of it by December 27, 2011. My email address is innerterrain@gmail.com Label it "Go Ahead Honey" in the subject bar.

-Check back for the recipe round-up. I will try to get the recipes posted ASAP so you have time to use them for New Years Eve.

-Also, you can double dip...send more than one submission if you like.

If You Give a Lab Mouse a Cookie

2011-11-26T19:15:00.000-08:00

Here's my grown up geeky version of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff. I have bookmarked a few pieces of interesting research that involve mice. Some of these articles involve inducing a condition to test new drugs. For example, say you need to test a drug for epilepsy or colitis, instead of trying to locate thirty mice with the condition, you induce it. As someone who never paid attention in biology class, this was news to me...and what was used to induce was sometimes more interesting than what they induced for. Please note I'm not trying to make fun of the poor plight of lab mice, who give their lives for our benefit.

If You Give a Lab Mouse a Cookie

If you give a lab mouse a cookie and them give him a glass of water with chlorinated by-products to wash it down with, he develops autistic symptoms: Chlorination byproducts induce gender specific autistic-like behaviors in CD-1 mice, post on Questioning Answers,
And cancer: Assessment of the carcinogenic potential of chlorinated water: experimental studies of chlorine, chloramine, and trihalomethanes

If you give a lab mouse a cookie with MSG and partially hydrogenated vegetable shortening he develops fatty liver disease: Effect of dietary monosodium glutamate on trans fat-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and becomes forgetful: Dietary trans-fat combined with monosodium glutamate induces dyslipidemia and impairs spatial memory

If you give a lab mouse a cookie with MSG he develops a smorgasbord of creepy health issues: Atorvastatin improves insulin sensitivity in mice with obesity induced by monosodium glutamate,
Long term effect of monosodium glutamate in liver of albino mice after neo-natal exposure,
Effects of bezafibrate in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis model mice with monosodium glutamate-induced metabolic syndrome, Chronic Administration of Monosodium Glutamate under Chronic Variable Stress Impaired Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Function in Rats,

If you give a lab mouse a cookie with MSG or Aspartame he becomes forgetful again: Glutamate and aspartate impair memory retention and damage hypothalamic neurons in adult mice

If you give a lab mouse a low-protein cookie and candida yeast, he develops colon permeability and evasive candida: Preventive strategy for Candida gut translocation during ischemia-reperfusion injury supervening on protein-calorie malnutrition.

If you give a Syrian hamster (not a mouse, but everyone is welcome here) a cookie with antibiotics and candida yeast, his protective gut flora is wiped out and candida is found in his organs: Ecology of Candida albicans gut colonization: inhibition of Candida adhesion, colonization, and dissemination from the gastrointestinal tract by bacterial antagonism.

If you give a pregnant lab mouse a cookie with antibiotics her offspring have affected immune systems: See post at Gutness Gracious Me

If you give a lab rabbit a cookie with LPS he develops colitis. (actually he's injected with it, not eating it) Lipopolysaccharide-induced colitis in rabbits. What is LPS? It is short for lipopolysaccharide, which is a toxin put off by gram-negative bacteria in your gut. Too much is a bad thing, which can also give the rabbit, an yourself, a host of bad issues: depression, anti-social behavior, liver problems, kidney problems, gi problems, etc. There is a wonderful website covering this called Microbial Influence.

If you give a lab mouse a cookie with high fructose corn syrup and trans-fat, the same amount to correlate with an American fast food diet, he develops metabolic syndrome: Severe NAFLD with hepatic necroinflammatory changes in mice fed trans fats and a high-fructose corn syrup equivalent

If you give a lab mouse a cookie with azo dyes (such as red 40), he develops DNA damage in his colon: DNA Damage Induced by Red Food Dyes Orally Administered to Pregnant and Male Mice

What's in your cookie?

This post is linked to Sunday School, Monday Mania, Fightback Friday, and Real Food 101.

Green Bean Casserole (SCD)

2011-11-20T14:52:00.000-08:00

The infamous Green Bean Casserole, SCD style. For my topping I use Herbes De Provence (Morten and Bassett brand). It is a mix of marjoram, rosemary, sage, savory, thyme, lavender, basil, parsley and sometimes fennel, chervil and garlic. If you can't find Herbes de Provence, than a combination of three or more of those herbs would work nicely. This recipe is for 4 to 5 people, you may need to double it.

Green Bean Casserole

2 cups Finely Diced Onions to make Crispy Onions
8 oz package Button Style Mushrooms, sliced
2 TBSP Oil or Butter
1 cup Yogurt or Yogurt Cream (SCD yogurt made from half and half)
Salt and Pepper to taste
10 oz package frozen cut Green Beans

Topping:
1/2 cup Almond Flour
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
Salt to taste

Make a batch of Crispy Onions. You can do this a few days before and refrigerate until use.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice Mushrooms. Heat oil or butter in a frying pan and saute mushrooms to desired doneness. In a medium mixing bowl combine yogurt, onions, and mushrooms. Season to taste. Add green beans and mix. Pour into a small casserole dish. Combine topping ingredients in a small mixing bowl, sprinkle on casserole. Bake 30 to 40 minutes.

Crispy Onions (SCD, GFCF)

2011-11-20T12:48:00.000-08:00

I had seen recipes for these in Indian cookbooks and meant to try them. Then, I ate some served on sliced flank steak at a Japanese restaurant in Las Vegas. They were diced so fine they looked like toasted coconut and tasted amazing. I could not wait to start using them at home. They are not just good on steak, they are also great with casseroles and vegetables. They will shrink up while cooking. Two cups of fresh diced onion will yield about 3/4 cup cooked. You can make these a few days ahead and refrigerate until use.

Crispy Onions

Small amount of Oil or Butter
Onions, diced fine

Here, I diced three small onions to get two cups worth. Oil a frying pan with just enough oil to coat the pan. Heat pan on medium high heat. Add onions in a semi single layer:

Adding more will cause some of them to cook before the others. Saute, stirring frequently until golden browned and done. If they need more oil while cooking, add a few drops at a time. If they seem to cook too fast, adjust the heat.

Hot Mulled Apple Cider (SCD, GFCF)

2011-11-10T14:46:00.000-08:00

Need to warm your cockles and spice them up a bit? Hot mulled apple cider is just the thing. Heat a pot of this before your friends come over and your house will smell heavenly, with an aroma that says it's the holiday season. My ingredients are approximate, you may want to experiment by adding ginger, nutmeg, honey, orange juice, etc.

Hot Mulled Apple Cider

1 quart Apple Cider (SCD legal if your and SCD'er)
1 Cinnamon Stick, plus more for garnish
3 to 5 Whole Cloves
6 to 8 Whole Allspice
1 piece of Orange Rind, about 1" x 2"

Put all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil and them simmer low for 15 minutes. Pour into mugs and garnish with a cinnamon stick. Serves 4.

This post is linked to Fightback Fridays and Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free.

Easy SCD Chili (SCD, GFCF)

2011-11-06T23:30:00.000-08:00

My dad has a saying, "Chili today, hot tamale". This is so true of Texas weather. One day it can be thirty degrees and the next day it can be eighty. This year we went from five months of August right into chili season. We have a hard time keeping the saltine crackers and cheddar cheese in stock at our little rural store. Everyone has a nice warm bowl of chili on their minds.

This recipe is from my mother-inlaw. I have only adapted the seasoning to make it SCD legal. It's very easy. Cook's Illustrated suggests adding the spices to the hot oil before browning the meat for more depth.

Easy SCD Chili
2 TBSP. Cooking Oil
1 Onion, diced fine
1/4 to 1/3 cup SCD Legal Chili Powder
Cloves of Garlic, to taste
2 lbs. Lean Ground Meat
4 cups Tomato Juice
1 Whole Fresh Chili Pepper (optional)

Heat oil over medium heat in a dutch oven type pot. Add onions, chili powder, and minced garlic, cook until onions are tender. Add ground meat and brown. Add tomato juice and simmer for 20 minutes or more. If you are adding a chili pepper add it with the tomato juice and leave it whole (like you would a bay leaf). You can serve it with shredded cheddar cheese. I have a friend who serves her chili over steamed cauliflower and says it's delicious.

This post is linked to Fightback Fridays.

Is This My Child?

2011-11-05T11:49:00.000-07:00

Doris Rapp has a book titled "Is This Your Child?". I had to ask myself that same question today. I was in the back of the house when my six year old came up and told me he was going to dust his bookcase. I thought "whatever" and handed him a damp rag. I came into the livingroom to find this:

It had not dawned on me in the last several years to dust the bookcase and it certainly would not have dawned on me when I was six. Who is channeling my child? Or was it just a good excuse to pull out all of the books and pile them on the floor (that would be the apple from the tree).

Freezing Tomatoes (SCD, GFCF)

2011-10-09T17:28:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like the taste of homegrown tomatoes. The cruel irony is that just when you want that flavor the most, in your nice warm bowl of tomato soup when the weather is cold, there are no good tomatoes to be found. Several years ago a neighbor had a bumper crop of tomatoes. He told me to blanch them and freeze them. I took the tomatoes and the advice. I was amazed at how well the frozen tomatoes had retained their wonderful flavor. I was determined to have a good batch put away this summer. Eddie started some tomato plants this spring but the 100 plus degree weather dampened my plan. Luckily the farmers market here has some decent batches. This year, instead of boiling the tomatoes and peeling them, I got an even easier idea from a post on Apron Strings for Roasted Tomato Sauce for the Freezer. I love the flavor of roasted tomatoes. So I followed the instruction for roasting. I sliced an X on the bottom of each tomato and placed them X side up in a roasting pan. I roasted them at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes, then let them cool. Then the skins just slipped off. It was so easy... and the house smelled like roasted tomatoes. I didn't make the sauce. Kalyn's Kitchen also has a recipe that caught my eye for "Just Tomatoes" Sauce for the Freezer. I'll be trying that one next week.

Liebster Award

2011-10-08T03:28:00.000-07:00

My blog has received the Liebster Blog award. Lisa of Allergy-Free Vintage Cookery tagged me for it."Liebster is a German word meaning dear, sweet, kind, nice, good, beloved, lovely, kindly, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing and welcome". The Liebster Award goes to blogs with less than 200 followers. Since I was tagged for this award, I now get to tag five other blogs. I'm going to cheat and pick six. I love so many blogs (if you haven't noticed my links list and my list of blogs I follow). So I am going to pick six that have are very unique.

A Cake Bakes in Brooklyn. This is not a gluten-free blog but a great source of inspiration. Susan has a fascinating hobby. She collects vintage cake and dessert recipes and blogs about the results. As she puts it: "These "lost" recipes, with their stains and annotations like "good, from mother's book," provide a window into the past, and one that I'm trying to pry open, one stick of butter at a time!"

Healthy Diets and Science. The media and mainstream medicine like to give us a single sided look at dietary research. David likes to give us a peek at the other side. If you are an armchair researcher like myself, this blog is an absolute gem.

Feed Me Like You Mean It. I think the name of this blog alone is worth an award. I wish I would have thought of it. Alex Lewin is serious about real food. Very Serious. His blog follows happenings in the real food movement.

Sonoma Bento This is another non-gf blog, but she has great ideas for incorporating fruits and veggies into the lunchbox. Full of lovely ideas.

My Cranky Gut. This is one of the newest blogs for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. Damion covers many topics: research, recipes, food journals and personal experiences.

Grain-Free Groupie A grain-free/gluten-free blog with lots of flavor. It's nice to see more gluten-free blogs going a step further and ousting the refined sugar and refined gf grains as well. Many of us are learning there's more to being gluten-free than just being gluten-free, there's a lot of other junk that needs to go out with the gluten.

If you were tagged and would like to participate, here's what you do:

1. Mention who tagged you.

2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.

4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love to others.

Dan Rather on Colony Collapse

2011-09-27T15:06:00.000-07:00

Bee keepers around the world are losing an average of 34 percent of their bee population each year. In this facinating, thought provoking and somewhat creepy report, Dan Rather looks into the role of neonicotinoid pesticides, a systemic pesticide whose release coincides with the bee epidemic. This report can be viewed here at PAN North America

Hearty Vegetable Beef Soup (SCD, GFCF)

2011-09-26T06:04:00.000-07:00

Soup season is coming! I love soup. This one is almost a stew, but not quite. I used "beef" in the title but almost any ground meat will do. This batch was made with deer meat. I prefer to use a leaner ground meat so there's little fat to drain off. Ingredients are approximate.

Hearty Vegetable Beef Soup

1 lb Lean Ground Meat such as Beef, Turkey, Deer, or Bison
Small amount of Olive Oil if needed
1 Onion, diced fine
1 Tomato, seeded and diced fine
3 cups Tomato Juice
2 cups Water
1 teas. Dried Basil
1 teas. Dried Oregano
Dash of Celery Seed (optional, early SCD'ers omit)
1 cup Carrots, diced fine
2 small Zucchini, diced fine
1 cup Frozen Cut Green Beans
Salt to taste

Brown meat in a large pot. Drain off excess fat if needed. Add onions and tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally until onions are tender. (If meat is very lean you may need a little olive oil). Add tomato juice, water, and herbs. Bring to a simmering boil. Add the other vegetables and simmer to desired tenderness. Season with salt to taste. Serves 6.

This post is linked to Fightback Friday.

Recipe Review - Lemon Ricotta Pancakes From Simply Gluten-Free (modified for SCD)

2011-09-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

Carol Kicinski of Simply Gluten-Free has a flourless pancake recipe using ricotta cheese called "Gluten Free Ricotta Lemon Pancakes". Ricotta cheese is not legal on the SCD, so I substituted with dry curd cottage cheese, also called farmers cheese. They were very good. They reminded me of french toast without the toast. Thanks Carol!

Here is a link for pancake syrups. I also have a recipe for Raspberry Syrup.

Butternut Snack Cake (SCD, GFCF)

2011-09-21T16:31:00.000-07:00

I had some butternut squash leftover and was in the mood for a nice moist snack cake. I adapted this from Almond Butter Pumpkin Brownies at This Primal Life. I added and extra egg and some spices and voila, a nice little cake. I've made her pumpkin brownie recipe before as well and it was delicious.

Butternut Snack Cake

1 cup Almond Butter, room temp
3/4 cup Butternut Squash, baked and pureed
2 Eggs
1/3 cup Honey
1 teas. Baking Soda
1 teas. Cinnamon
1/8 teas. Allspice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and 8" x 8" cake pan.

In a large mixing bowl, mix almond butter until smooth. Blend in other ingredients one at a time. Pour into pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until cake tests done with a toothpick.

This post is linked to Pennywise Platter Thursdays and Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love, Fightback Friday, and Sugar Free Sunday.

Autism, Carbs and Dysbiosis... Is Science Catching Up?

2011-09-20T10:28:00.000-07:00

I must apologize. It's been a month with no recipe postings, and I'm still empty handed. I have several things I have been working on but they are just not there yet. However, I do have something very fascinating to post about. I like to follow Dr Paul Whiteley's blog, Questioning Answers. He is an autism researcher from the UK and posts frequently about diet and gi issues in autistics. Since Gordon is a gi ASD kid I like to keep up with the latest research. This weekend he posted on something huge in this area. It is a study by some top researchers in this field and it is finding the genes to metabolize carbs in some gi autistics are not working. They are also finding the wrong bacteria. They are speculating that these unused carbs are feeding this wrong bacteria. The article is very sciencey, a bit hard to follow, but you can still get the gist. It is titled "Impaired Carbohydrate Digestion and Transport and Mucosal Dysbiosis in the Intestines of Children with Autism and Gastrointestinal Disturbances". Link HERE. Dr. Whiteley gives his easier to understand take on it here and here.

The bottom line of the study is "These results indicate a relationship between human intestinal gene expression and bacterial community structure and may provide insights into the pathophysiology of gastrointestinal disturbances in children with autism."

For anyone who has read Elaine Gottschall's "Breaking the Vicious Cycle" the article will be deja vu, just harder to read. What amazes me is that Dr. Sydney Haas was onto this over 80 years ago. In his book Management of Celiac Disease, in 1951, he speculates that Celiac Disease is caused by a bacterial source that eats certain carbohydrates, remove those types of carbohydrates and you starve out the bacteria. This work was before the discovery of gluten and the current biopsy used to diagnose Celiac Disease. So it is really hard to know how many people back then were true Celiac's and who may have had Crohn's and other bowel issues. (Although it would be interesting to see a modern study on the SCD and Celiac's). What's more, Dr. Haas seems to discuss autistic behavior in this book. He isn't the only one to notice this odd behavior in gi patients either. He cites several other doctors who comment on it as well. "Czerny and Keller (1923-1928) were struck by the lack of attention to the psychological aspect of celiac disease on the part of many authors". Elaine puts excerpts from the book here.

I almost forgot to mention. Dr. Timothy Buie is one of the authors of this study. He is known for heading up the 2010 study in American Academy of Pediatrics "Evaluation, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Disorders in Individuals With ASDs: A Consensus Report". He also has an interesting interview with the Autism Advocate called "Gastrointestinal Illness in Autism" . You can view a very interesting speech he gave at the Maine CDC Here.

It will be interesting to see how the media portrays the study, if they pick up on it at all.

This post is linked to Fightback Friday.

Jack Black Autism Song Clip

2011-09-03T07:31:00.000-07:00

OK, not food related, but very cute. This is a song from The Miracle Project, a group that works with special needs kids. This is a duet with Jack Black and a boy named Wyatt Isaacs, who has autism. I enjoyed it because I have had to cut so many tags out of my child's clothing. He's also quite fearless, except for fear of loud flushing public toilets.

Pecanbread...It's Not Just for Kids Anymore

2011-08-28T12:45:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that Pecanbread is the SCD website for parents with children on the SCD. We started the SCD for my son in 2008, who has had GI issues since one week of age and regressive autism. Pecanbread has been a godsend for me, especially for kid friendly recipes and trouble shooting ideas. The website is designed for kid issues, however, there is so much valuable information that it is just as useful for grown ups too. If you are following the SCD and have never thought to poke around on it, you may be surprised. They also add new info from time to time. Here's a just a few of their interesting pages:

SCD and Detoxification
Stages (may be helpful for some)
Recipes in stages
Sample Menus
Food Preparation
Common Mistakes
Overcoming Difficulties
Improving Results
Yeast and SCD yeast protocol
Constipation
How to enhance the SCD (although I don't believe between GAPS and SCD one is better in general than the other, it all depends on the individual chemistry, for us starting SCD was the better option)
Probiotics

Banana Snaps (SCD)

2011-08-21T14:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a lunchbox treat that's not too sweet.

Banana Snaps (SCD)

1 cup Pecan Meal
4 cups Almond Flour
1/4 teas. Sea Salt
1/4 teas. Baking Soda
1 teas. Cinnamon
2/3 to 3/4 cup mashed Ripe Banana
1/4 cup melted Butter
1/2 cup Honey
1 Egg
1 teas. Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. In a medium bowl mix wet ingredients together. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir until combined. Chill in freezer or refrigerator until it can be handled easier (10 to 30 minutes). Roll dough into small balls, about 1/2 inch diameter, the size of a large marble steely, and place on cookie sheet. With wet hands press cookie dough balls flat. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how crunchy you like your cookies. Makes about 6 or 7 dozen.

These keep well, for about 10 days in an airtight container (we live in a dry climate, so humidity may affect shelf life).

This post is linked to Fightback Fridays.

Summer Blogging Break 2011

2011-08-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

I haven't abandoned you. We've had a busy spell for awhile which included lots of "to do" things, including getting our broken oven fixed. Even though it's been over 100 degrees everyday, I was still lost without my oven. On the plus side, what better way to enjoy 100 plus temperatures than at Schlitterbaun. Every summer we try to visit good friends in San Antonio and spend a day at a water park.

Now this may seem like a typical photo of a family waiting in line (see below). For us it was a really big event. Notice there is no crying or screaming. Our child has never done lines well. Waiting in lines with him was agonizing, he would have a big meltdown. Here, while there was some complaining, he was no worse than his cousin who is the same age. Has he outgrown it or will we have to bring the cousin everywhere we go now?

Between Schitterbaun and San Antonio was a Snake Farm which the boys had to see. All the way there they sang "going to the snake farm":

We also ate at our favorite restaurant in San Antonio, Chama Gaucha. It's a Brazilian steakhouse and most of their cuisine is gluten-free. It's amazing.

SCD Lazy Daisy Cake

2011-07-07T14:09:00.000-07:00

In my last recipe post I mentioned it was too hot to use the oven. Then I see a recipe for Lazy Daisy Cake in a Taste of Home publication and I can't fire the oven up fast enough to attempt a SCD version. This has a luscious buttery gooiness to it, a great trait to find in a dessert!

SCD Lazy Daisy Cake (SCD)

Cake:
2 Eggs
1/2 cup Honey
1 teas. Vanilla Extract
2 cups Almond Flour
1 teas. Baking Soda
1/4 teas. Sea Salt
1/2 cup Yogurt or Yogurt Cream (yogurt made from half and half), heated just to room temp
2 TBSP Butter, melted

Topping:
1/3 cup plus 1 TBSP Honey
1/2 cup Butter, melted
1 cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8" x 8" baking dish. (I use a pyrex dish)

For Cake: In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, honey, and vanilla until combined well and just a bit frothy, about one minute. In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Then add to the egg mixture and beat just until combined. Beat in yogurt and melted butter. Pout into buttered baking dish and bake about 30-35 minutes, until cake tests done. Let cake cool for about 20 minutes.

For Topping: In a small saucepan melt butter and stir in honey until combined. Then stir in coconut. Spread over cake. Place under the broiler for about 3 to 4 minutes until browned and bubbly. Watch it closely, once it browns it doesn't take long to burn. Cool and enjoy! It seems like the next day it was even better.

This post is linked to Real Food Weekly, Fight Back Fridays, Sugar-Free Sunday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, and Gluten-Free Wednesdays.

Dr. Ayers on Jimmy Moore's Low Carb Show

2011-07-04T12:49:00.000-07:00

Jimmy Moore did an interview with one of my favorite non-foodie bloggers, Dr. Art Ayers' of Cooling Inflammation. His Anti-Inflammatory Diet recommendations are very similar to the SCD. When we first started the SCD diet I thought of it as temporary, until we were healed. After more research I now think it has it's advantages even in the absence of GI issues. Dr. Ayers blog has been full of information on the role of dietary inflammation on gut flora. In his interview with Jimmy Moore here, he discusses the role of starches and antibiotics on gut flora in allergies, autoimmunity, and constipation, and much more. The interview is 39 minutes into the podcast.

Chopped Brussels Sprouts (SCD, GFCF)

2011-06-29T13:24:00.000-07:00

I love roasted Brussels sprouts, but despise the boiled ones. I didn't feel like firing up the oven to roast them, plus I was in a hurry, so I chopped and pan fried them. Very easy, quick and good. In fact so easy this really isn't a recipe at all, but I'll shamelessly post it anyways:

Chopped Brussels Sprouts

Brussels Sprouts
Butter, Oil or Fat for frying
Sea Salt

Cut the brown part of the stem part off the sprouts. Chop sprouts into quarters. In a frying pan over medium high heat, melt butter if you are using butter (for GFCF use another type of fat or oil). Add sprouts and cook until some are lightly browned and heated to your preference. Salt to taste.

Gut Flora, Nutrition, and Immunity

2011-06-23T06:17:00.000-07:00

He's a fascinating article on the importance of gut flora: Human nutrition, the gut microbiome and the immune system. I saw a link to this gem on Paul Whiteley's blog Feed Me Research. It's been said they you can't fully discuss nutrition without the role of the gut flora. This article discusses some of the nuts and bolts of this, and for the most part it is easy to follow for us laypersons. The article makes several points worth mentioning:

"During the past 30 or so years, the North American diet has also shifted in terms of the relative contributions of different foods to total energy intake. Since 1970, two dietary 'epochs' can be distinguished based on the contribution of grains to overall calories (the mean increase in daily carbohydrate intake for men and women during this period was 62.4 g and 67.7 g, respectively). The consumption of other food items has also changed: Spearman's rank correlations between food availability and time, followed by adjustments of P values to reflect false discovery rates, show that the representation of 177 out of 214 items tracked by the USDA has increased or decreased significantly in US diets since 1970. For example, Americans now eat less beef and more chicken, and corn-derived sweeteners have increased at the expense of cane and beet sugars. Furthermore, methods of food modification and preparation have changed."

I find this interesting because chronic autoimmune and digestive diseases are on the rise. As a SCD'er I can't help but wonder if the drastic uptake of grains and sugar are a factor. A fun look at this change can be seen by Tom Naughton here and here.

"The intestinal microbiota can synthesize several vitamins involved in myriad aspects of microbial and host metabolism, including cobalamin (vitamin B12), pyridoxal phosphate (the active form of vitamin B6), which is involved in several enzymatic interconversions in amino-acid metabolism, pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), niacin (vitamin B3), biotin, tetrahydrofolate and vitamin K. In addition to vitamin B12, gut microbes produce a range of related molecules (corrinoids) with altered 'lower ligands', including analogues such as methyladenine and p-cresol. More than 80% of non-absorbed dietary vitamin B12 is converted to these alternative corrinoids. There is preliminary evidence to suggest that syntrophic relationships among members of the human microbiota, and the fitness of some taxa, may be based on the ability to generate, use or further transform various corrinoids."

I found this one interesting because those of us with gi issues also tend to be lacking in these vitamins. Vitamin B6 has also been found to help in autism, again pointing to a possible gut issue. As well as anemia in both populations:

"Likewise, iron is an essential micronutrient for bacteria. Given the low solubility of Fe3+, microbes have evolved the capacity to produce several high-affinity iron-binding siderophores. Microbes take up soluble Fe3+–siderophore complexes by several active transporters. Early studies in gnotobiotic animals showed a link between the gut microbiota and the development of iron deficiency. Germ-free but not conventionally raised rats become anaemic when fed a low-iron diet. The germ-free rats also show increased loss of iron in their faeces compared with their conventionally raised counterparts54. The iron balance that exists between host and microbiota is disturbed in a mouse model of Crohn's disease in which tumour-necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) expression is dysregulated: oral (but not parenteral) iron supplementation in these animals causes a shift in the gut microbial community composition, as defined by 16S ribosomal-RNA-based surveys, and exacerbates their ileitis."

This article also discusses the role of gut flora in obesity and diabetes. I was curious about which type of fat they used in this study reference: "Mice fed a high-fat diet have increased serum levels of lipopolysaccharide".
It turns out the researchers used corn and lard for the 72 percent fat diet for the mice. (I suspect a lot of corn and corn oil in the modern diet may not be a good thing).

Deviled Eggs with Sweet Onions (SCD, Nut-Free)

2011-06-19T19:18:00.000-07:00

We have an abundance of sweet onions in our CSA box. Thankfully I have a food dehydrator. I also slipped some diced onions into the deviled eggs with tasty results.

Deviled Eggs with Sweet Onions (SCD)

6 Large Eggs, hard boiled
2 TBSP Mayonnaise
2 TBSP Butter, melted
1/3 cup Sweet Onions, very finely diced
Salt and Pepper to taste
A sprinkle of paprika for garnish.

Slice eggs in half lengthwise and scoop yolk into a small bowl. Add mayonnaise and butter and mash well. If the mixture is too dry, mix in more mayo one teaspoon at a time to desired consistency. Add onions, salt and pepper. Drop yolk mixture into egg white shells. Sprinkle with paprika. Chill until serving.

Great Recipe - Berry Honey Bars from Heal-Balance-Live

2011-06-13T17:25:00.000-07:00

When I saw these Berry Honey Bars (SCD friendly) on Karen's Heal-Balance-Live blog I couldn't wait to try them. She also has a version with chocolate chips (not SCD legal). These were yummy. The crust is a perfect replacement for a graham cracker crust. I did not have any sliced almonds on hand so I used pecans and used butter in place of the coconut oil and they were still delicious. Thanks Karen!

SCD legal jam/jelly recipes:

Homemade Strawberry Jam from Z's Cup of Tea

SCD Homemade Fruit Jam from Heal-Balance-Live

Raspberry Jam and many more from SCD Recipes

Study for Those With Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, and IBD

2011-06-06T01:42:00.000-07:00

This is a super easy study to participate in. Rush University is seeking volunteers for a study on IBD. They currently need controls, which in this case are folks with IBD who are NOT following a special diet. Here is the official release:

Do you have Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis or indeterminate
colitis? Would you like to have a free stool analysis to see what
bacteria, yeast and other microbes are in your gastrointestinal tract?

Rush University Medical Center’s Department of Gastroenterology is
conducting a study to determine if the Specific Carbohydrate Diet
changes the population of microbes in the gastrointestinal tract.
This is a popular dietary program amongst patients, but there are no
published studies on how the diet works. Your participation in this
study will contribute to scientific knowledge regarding how diet can
be used to manage the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease.
Participation will entail completing a series of surveys and mailing
two stool samples and a urine sample. This study can be done
completely from home through the mail and does not require presence at
Rush University Medical Center.

We are currently looking for volunteers 8 years of age or older with a formal
diagnosis of Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis or indeterminate
colitis who are NOT on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet or a similar
diet. Subjects must be located in the United States. Volunteers who
qualify for the study will receive a DNA analysis of their stool.

The principal investigator for this study is
Ece Mutlu, MD
Rush University Medical Center Department of Gastroenterology
1725 W. Harrison St., Ste. 207
Chicago, IL 60612
If you are interested in participating or have questions, please contact
(312) 942-3466.
clinical_trials@rush.edu

Roasted Cabbage - SCD

2011-05-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

There was a head of cabbage in my CSA box. I've never been a cooked cabbage fan, but ever since I tried roasted Brussels sprouts I have wondered if the same technique could work for cabbage. Yes it does! This came out sweet with a bit of crunch, not soggy and strong like my childhood memories of cabbage. Plus it's easy.

Roasted Cabbage

1 medium head Savoy Cabbage
3/4 cup Broth or Consomme
5 TBSP Butter

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Butter a 9" x 13" baking dish.

Slice cabbage into 1/2" shreds, discard stem and core. Place cabbage shreds in baking dish. Pour broth over the top. Dot with pats of butter. Roast for 15 minutes. Flip the cabbage. Roast another 15 minutes. Makes about 4 to 6 servings.

Here are some more SCD friendly cooked cabbage recipes:

Roasted Cabbage with Lemon from Kaylyn's Kitchen

Roasted Cabbage with Bacon from the Kitchn

Roasted Cabbage and Kale Chips from Yard Farm

Braised Red Cabbage with Apples from Jill's Test Kitchen

Cider Braised Red Cabbage and Apples from Healthy Living Market

Stuffed Cabbage from Comfy Belly

This recipe is linked to Pennywise Platter Thursday, Real Food Weekly, Fightback Friday, and Traditional Tuesdays.

My Crockpot is My Stockpot - Homemade Beef Broth and Consomme (SCD, GFCF)

2011-05-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

I've finally had success making beef broth in the crockpot. The secret, besides roasting bones with a little meat on them, is a low setting for 24 hours. Roasting them first removes fat and browns the bones for better flavor. I used soup bones that were about 3 to 4 inches in diameter, cut about an inch thick, and still had a few chunks of meat on them. This recipe made about 7-8 cups of broth. This broth had a good flavor and made a nice consomme too.

Stephanie of a Year of SlowCooking recommends adding cider vinegar about half way through to bring out the flavor. I forgot to do this, but will try next time.

Homemade Beef Broth

3 lbs (approx) Beef Soup Bones
10 cups (approx) Water
Veggies on hand such as onions, celery, and/or carrots (I used 6 Green Onions)
2 or 3 Bay Leaves
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put bones in a single layer on a roasting pan, and roast about 40 minutes, until browned. Place browned bones in crock pot, adding water and other ingredients. Cook for 24 hours on low setting. Note: make sure your low setting is able to bring it to a simmering boil, if not use higher setting.

Cool cooked broth to room temperature, pour into a pitcher, and refridgerate overnight. When chilled, scoop off layer of fat, if you're avoiding fat then discard, if you're embracing fat reserve it in the fridge for future use. Use broth within three days of put in freezer safe containers and freeze.

To make consomme, put broth in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Boil until it is reduced by half. This will have a nice "beefy" flavor that is good in recipes. You can also freeze consomme for future use.

This post is linked to Fresh Bite Fridays,a whole foods carnival, Fightback Friday, and Traditional Tuesdays.

Grain-Free Fig Bars - SCD

2011-05-26T18:35:00.000-07:00

I've had bars on the brain. We have a family reunion coming up soon and bars are the perfect take along dessert. If you like Fig Newtons, you'll like these. However, they are soft like a "blondie" rather than a cookie.

This is also my submission for this month's Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free, hosted this month by Raj and Sonia of Flip Cookbook. The theme is Garden Tea Party. I thought these would be perfect, since they are a sweet nibble, perfect for tea. Right now in Texas it's ice tea season, but I think they will still go just fine.

Grain-Free Fig Bars

Filling:
7 or 8 ounces of Dries Figs, stems removed (I used Black Mission Figs)
1/4 cup Water
1/4 cup Honey

Batter:
2 cups Almond Flour
1/2 teas. Sea Salt
1/2 teas. Baking Soda
1/3 (5 TBSP) Butter, melted
1/3 cup Honey
2 Eggs
1 teas. Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter an 8" x 8" baking pan.

To make fig filling, remove stems from figs and add to a food processor with water and honey. Process until smooth. The goal is to make it smooth and spreadable, but somewhat thick. If it is too thick thin with another teaspoon of water.

To make the batter, in a medium mixing bowl combine almond flour, sea salt and baking soda. In another bowl stir butter and honey until smooth. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Stir into flour mixture. Spread half of the batter into the prepared baking dish. Drop fig filling onto batter by tablespoons and carefully spread:

Now, carefully spread the remaining batter on top:

Bake for about 45 minutes. You will need to check the center of the top for doneness, as the bars will look fully cooked but this area may still be a bit gooey. Store in the refrigerator.

This post is also linked to Fight Back Fridays, Traditional Food Tuesday Blog Hop, Real Food Weekly, and Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.

Taking the Plunge - Joining a CSA

2011-05-23T19:00:00.000-07:00

I did it. I finally joined a CSA. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It works a bit differently than the usual way you buy your produce. In a CSA you buy a share for that growing season, you pay an up front price and then each week you pick up a box with your share of that weeks harvest. The CSA farmer tries to grow a great assortment so your box has a good variety. Since it was my first year, I opted for a bi-weekly box. I love the idea of a CSA. I think it is good for local economies, I like knowing that my farmer doesn't use a multitude of pesticides, and I like that my produce wasn't trucked across the country using lots of petroleum in the process. The challenge for me will be to use my box of produce and trying not to waste any if possible. An even bigger challenge, however, is that I grew up avoiding vegetables, so I haven't worked with many greens, root vegetables and squashes. I want to incorporate more greens into my diet, so finding recipes I like will be an adventure. I have been preparing for over a year now by purchasing some books to help such as Greens Glorious Greens! byJohnna Albi and Catherine Walthers and From Asparagus to Zucchini by the Madison Area CSA. There are also some great CSA recipe websites. If I do stumble upon any great dishes, I'll pass them on.

If you want to find a CSA in your area check out Local Harvest.

Links for storing and using your CSA produce:

Maritquita Farms - Great resource for vegetable info and recipes!

Live Earth Farm CSA Notes from Debbie's Kitchen A ton of recipes, they've been adding recipes since 2002.

Anchor Run - Lots of recipes

This post is linked to Grain-Free Tuesdays.

Wheat Lectins, Soybean Lectins, and the GI Tract

2011-05-22T06:48:00.000-07:00

Here is an interesting piece of research highlighted by David of Healthy Diets and Science. (David's site is fun to browse around in). The study is titled "Lectin-Based Food Poisoning: A New Mechanism of Protein Toxicity". In this study the researchers find the plant lectins wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) and soybean agglutinin (SGA) can not only inhibit repair of gi cells when damaged, they also can block mucus production that the body uses to lubricate damaged areas. Some interesting highlights:

"Areas of epithelial cell necrosis and even zones of complete epithelial cell denudation are seen in biopsies of the stomach and intestine of mammals and insects fed plant lectins. Indeed, the plant lectin may function as a natural insecticide. Epithelial cell microvilli particularly are affected by lectin exposure..."

"Epithelial cells lining the GI tract in vivo, unlike cells in vitro, are constantly exposed to mechanical stress and, consequently, frequently suffer plasma membrane disruptions. However, cell death is not the only outcome of this type of injury: cells are capable of rapidly repairing and thereby surviving plasma membrane disruptions. One key step of the repair mechanism, reviewed in, is exocytotic. For large disruptions, this exocytotic reaction functions by adding a ‘patch’ of intracellular membrane to plasma membrane surrounding the disruption site."

"Exocytosis, which is required for membrane repair, is likely targeted by this class of toxin: previous studies showed that lectins can inhibit exocytosis, and we show here that, in particular, mucin exocytosis, which is coupled to repair in the cells we have studied, is potently inhibited by lectins. Moreover, we have found (data not shown) that inhibition of repair is rapid in onset (<1 min after addition to cell medium) and rapidly reversed by lectin washoff ."

"Because lectins, based on the damage they do to the lining of the GI tract, and their hypertrophic effect, have been implicated in, respectively, celiac disease and cancer, knowledge of this mechanism may have implications beyond a better understanding of food poisoning."

This post is linked to Grain-Free Tuesdays and Fight Back Fridays.

Almond Flour Pancakes (SCD)

2011-05-15T09:30:00.000-07:00

I didn't have enough eggs this morning to make our usual waffle recipe, so I tried adding one half cup of yogurt. Wafflewise it was a disaster, but pancakewise, it was delicious. These taste just like the gluten laden version.

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free, Grain-Free Tuesdays at HellaDelicious, and Tuesdays at the Table at All the Small Stuff.

Almond Flour Pancakes

1 cup Almond Flour
1/4 teas. Baking Soda
1/4 teas. Sea Salt
1/2 cup Yogurt
2 TBSP. Honey
3 Eggs
1/2 teas. Vanilla Extract
1/4 teas. Almond Extract
Oil for Frying

In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients, then mix in other ingredients until smooth. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add small drops of batter, making pancakes about 3 inches in diameter each. Cook until golden brown on both sides. Makes about 12 pancakes.

Top with Raspberry Syrup.

Great Recipe - Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce from The Dairy Free Diva (SCD, GFCF, Nut-Free)

2011-05-05T15:43:00.000-07:00

I saw this tasty recipe for Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce on Stephanie of The Dairy Free Diva's site. It sounded so yummy I immediately began to think of ways to use it. Shrimp Salad? On Mexican food? Hmmm. I just happened to have some cooked chicken breast in the fridge and it was perfect for chicken salad. The lime and cilantro flavors go so well with chicken. I used all mayo, instead of part mayo/part sour cream, and added it to one half pound of cooked and finely diced chicken breast. I now have a new favorite chicken salad for lunches. Thanks Stephanie!

Peanut Butter Truffles (Advanced SCD)

2011-04-24T18:13:00.000-07:00

For those of you who enjoyed Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, here is a SCD treat. Note: peanut butter is an advanced food for the SCD.

This post is linked to Sugar-Free Sundays at Flip Cookbook, Fight Back Fridays at Food Renegade, and Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free.

Peanut Butter Truffles (Advanced SCD)

1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter (SCD legal for SCD'ers)
8 TBSP (one stick) Butter
1 cup Almond Flour (not almond meal)
2 TBSP Honey (adjust if you need to)
1 1/2 cups Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

In a food processor combine peanut butter, butter, almond flour and honey. Pulse until smooth and creamy. Put into a freezer safe bowl and freeze a couple of hours until solid. Scoop out with a teaspoon, roll into balls and then roll in coconut to coat. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Makes about 24 truffles.

Autism - PBS Interview with Dr. Martha Herbert

2011-04-22T06:19:00.000-07:00

April is Autism Awareness month. Robert MacNeil of PBS Newshour, who has a grandson with autism, has done an excellent series on autism this week. On the PBS website they have a vast array of fascinating material on autism, including the extended interviews like this one with Dr. Martha Herbert. Dr. Herbert, a pediatric neurologist from Harvard, also spoke at this years "When the Belly is the Beast" conference at the Gottschall Center.

Great Recipe - Cinnamon Cookies from Comfy Belly (SCD)

2011-04-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

Here's another great cookie recipe from another great blogger: Cinnamon Cookies from Erica at Comfy Belly. If you scroll down her post, commenter Susan suggests using vanilla extract in place of the cinnamon and then sprinkling the cinnamon on top to make a snickerdoodle. I tried that variation and it is delicious too. My son loves the cookie dough and the cookies. Thanks Erica! Erica's blog also has many other SCD legal recipes.

Is Sugar Toxic? - Great Gary Taubes Article

2011-04-15T19:19:00.000-07:00

I'm a big Gary Taubes fan. I devoured every word of "Good Calories, Bad Calories" and savored every morsel of "Why We Get Fat, and What to do About It". It's not that I was interested in losing weight, it's just that I was beginning to come to these conclusions myself. Then Taubes spells out the entire history of how mainstream dietary advice wound up where it is today. This current article is in the New York Times and is titled "Is Sugar Toxic?" Alex of Feed Me Like You Mean It had the link posted. Thanks Alex!

And Now for the Terrible Two's....

2011-04-15T07:02:00.000-07:00

It's my second blogiversary! Two years ago who would have thought a grain-free/refined sugar-free blog would have gotten over 75,000 hits? Thank you so much for following. And also a big thank you to my fellow bloggers who keep the gluten-free and grain-free community alive and thriving. It's so easy to find healthy recipes, ideas and support thanks to all of you.

If you have any suggestions for my blog or recipe requests, I can always use ideas.

Plant a Little Something for Your Honey

2011-04-07T14:07:00.000-07:00

Many of you may be aware of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), which is a phenomena of unknown origin that has been causing a drastic decline in the number of honey bees reported since 2006. Honey is used as the main sweetener on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet due to it's ability to be easily digested. Honey bees do more for the food chain than just produce honey, they also pollinate many other plants, including those in agriculture. The USDA says "Bee pollination is responsible for $15 billion in added crop value, particularly for specialty crops such as almonds and other nuts, berries, fruits, and vegetables. About one mouthful in three in the diet directly or indirectly benefits from honey bee pollination." While no one knows the cause of CCD, there are many factors that are suspected, such as environmental toxins and vanishing habitat.

What can we do to help our busy buzzy hard working friends? Now is the time many of us are planting flowers for spring and summer. There are many types of flowers that are better for bees, and local bees are more adapted to local flowers. Adding some local flowers, flowering herbs, and good nectar flowers in your flower bed mix may help them. I couldn't help but notice the local farm stores this year have plenty of local honey, much more than usual. We also had an amazing spring in 2010 with fields bursting of wildflowers due to the extra moisture we received that winter (above photo). Coincidence?

Interesting Links:

Silence of the Bees, a documentary on PBS that you can view here.

Plant a Bee Garden from the Honeybee Conservancy

Urban Bee Gardens

Plants for Native Bees in North America

This post is linked to Fightback Fridays at the Food Renegade.

Recipe Review - Crispy Chicken Nuggets from SCD for Life

2011-03-31T18:31:00.000-07:00

My five year old is a stickler for kid food and luckily there are many SCD blogs with lots of kid friendly recipes. It's great to see more and more SCD blogs popping up. I especially like Sherry's "Specific Carbohydrate Diet for Life" blog where I found this recipe for Crispy Chicken Nuggets. These were delicious, easy to make, and passed the kid test. I added a teaspoon of Herbs de Provence to the almond flour, but any spice would work well. Thanks Sherry!

Here are some more SCD freindly Chicken Nugget recipes:

Chicken Nuggets from Comfy Belly

Egg-Free Chicken Nuggets from Egg-Free SCD Mommy

All Star Chicken Nuggets from Mrs. Ed's (GFCF and nut-free)

Primal Chicken Nuggets from Life as a Plate (egg-free)

Chicken Avacado Tots from SCD Recipe (GFCF, egg-free, nut-free)

Chicken Tots from PecanBread (egg-free and nut-free)

Garlic Cheddar Rolls (SCD)

2011-03-27T18:11:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you cross Elana Amsterdam's Classic Drop Biscuits with Red Lobster's Garlic Rolls? You get this yummy hybrid that goes great with a hot bowl of your favorite soup. This recipe was adapted from Elana's "The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook".

This recipe was originally posted over a year ago and much to my horror I realized I had forgotten something, so I stuck the recipe in my draft folder and forgot about it until today. We were craving these so I made a batch and have fixed the post. I apologize to anyone who had made the older version and was disappointed.

This post is linked to "Grain-Free Tuesdays" at HellaD's.

Garlic Cheddar Rolls

2 1/2 cups Almond Flour
1 teas. Sea Salt
1/2 teas. Baking Soda
1/4 cup Light Oil, such as Grapeseed
2 large Eggs
1/4 cup Yogurt
1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 teas. Lemon Juice
1 or 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 TBSP Butter, melted
Dried Parsley Flakes for tops

Oven 350 Degrees. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. I use an aluminum cookie sheet which keeps the bottoms from burning as quickly. If your using a darker type metal pan you may need a slightly lower temperature.

Mix almond flour, salt and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl combine oil, yogurt, eggs and lemon juice. Lightly beat with a fork. Stir into flour mixture until combined. Stir in shredded cheese. If you like your rolls very garlicky, add garlic now.

Drop dough by about 1/4 cup portions onto cookie sheet. Add garlic to butter and combine (if you haven't already put the garlic in the dough). With a pastry brush, brush the tops of the rolls with the melted butter. Sprinkle with a small amount of dried parsley, basil or oregano.

Bake about 15 to 20 minutes until lightly golden.

Real Food Little Dude

2011-03-13T19:37:00.000-07:00

Out of the mouth of babes. Here is a link to a speech from an eleven year old about the status of our food system. If you're a fan of Weston Price, Michael Pollan or Food Inc., then you'll love this. Jane Casey sent me this link. Thanks Jane!

This post is linked to Grain-Free Tuesdays at HellaD.

Artichoke Bisque (SCD)

2011-03-08T03:14:00.000-08:00

A creamy soup with artichokes, Parmesan cheese and garlic...how could you go wrong? This was adapted from the "New England Soup Factory Cookbook" by Marjorie Druker. Instead of using cream, I use yogurt cream, homemade yogurt made from half and half and when processed for 24 hours it is virtually lactose-free. I also use canned artichokes, but you could use frozen ones as well.
This is my submission for this months "Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free". Linda of The Gluten-free Homemaker is hosting and the theme is "Seasonal Soups". Funny, artichokes are always in season in my pantry, so this was a natural choice. It it also quick and easy, another seasonal favorite!

This post is also linked to "Grain-Free Tuesdays" at Hella Delicious, and "Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays" at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free.

Artichoke Bisque (SCD)
4 cups Chicken Stock
2 (14 oz) cans Artichoke Hearts (check for illegal ingredients)
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 heaping cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1/4 teas. Nutmeg
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 cup Yogurt Cream, or a very thick yogurt
Parsley or Chives for garnish (optional)

In a large pot simmer chicken stock, artichokes and garlic a few minutes, until artichokes are fork tender. Use an immersion blender to puree or use a regular blender and puree small batches at a time. Return to pot. Add nutmeg and cheese. Stir until cheese is incorporated. Season. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt cream. Garnish and serve.

When the Belly is the Beast-The Gottschall Autism Center Conference

2011-03-02T15:38:00.000-08:00

The Gottschall Autism Center is having their second annual "When the Belly is the Beast" conference on Friday, April 1, 2011. What caught my eye was Dr. Allessio Fasano will be speaking on "Gluten, Leaky Gut, and the Autism Spectrum Disorder: How to Connect the Dots". Dr. Fasano has done some really fascinating research on the role of intestinal permeability "leaky gut" and autoimmunity. I was excited to see another researcher of this caliber looking into the autism and gut connection. Dr. Martha Herbert, a pediatric neurologist from Harvard will also be speaking. Oh to be a fly on the wall at this conference....way too cool!

Here is a nibble of Dr. Fasano's research:

Physiological, pathological, and therapeutic implications of zonulin-mediated intestinal barrier modulation: living life on the edge of the wall. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2570116

Tight Junctions, Intestinal Permeability, and Autoimmunity Celiac Disease and Type 1 Diabetes Paradigms www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2886850

Zonulin and its regulation of intestinal barrier function: the biological door to inflammation, autoimmunity, and cancer. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21248165

Gliadin, zonulin and gut permeability: Effects on celiac and non-celiac intestinal mucosa and intestinal cell lines. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16635908

Gliadin induces an increase in intestinal permeability and zonulin release by binding to the chemokine receptor CXCR3. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2653457/?tool=pubmed

Seasoning for Salmon (SCD,GFCF)

2011-02-27T18:04:00.000-08:00

I am always leery of spice blends. I was glutened once by lemon pepper seasoning. This is my replacement for Old Bay seasoning. There's no bay leaves in it but it goes well with salmon. I've had success with it on broiled salmon and salmon patties (recipe for future post). The nice thing about making your own blend is that you can adjust it to your taste.

If you are avoiding seeds you can substitute celery flakes for the celery seed. I use Simply Organic spices but I cannot vouch whether they are SCD legal or not.

This post is linked to Grain-Free Tuesdays from Hella Delicious Food, a GAPS diet and whole foods blog.

Seasoning for Salmon (SCD,GFCF)

1 TBSP Paprika
2 teas. Coriander
3 teas. Mustard (powder)
1 1/2 teas. Celery Seed
1 1/2 teas. Sea Salt
1 teas. Ginger (powder)
1/4 teas. Allspice
1/4 teas. Cinnamon
1/2 teas. White Pepper
1/8 teas. Cayenne (optional)

Combine. Adjust to taste. Store in an airtight container.

Recipe Review - Grain-Free Cocoa Butter Cookies (SCD, GFCF)

2011-02-16T14:55:00.000-08:00

OMG...these are so good! Here's our latest favorite cookie recipe from Esther of Digestive Wellness. She declares they are so different from other cookies...and she's right. They have a delightful crisp to them, and then there's the taste the cocoa butter adds to it. It's almost like a hint of white chocolate. And if you are a cookie dough eater you will be in heaven. When baking these I found they turned out best when I used a teaspoonful for each and rolled it into a ball. These burn easy and they don't taste as well when they get too brown, you definitely want to take them out when they have just a touch of golden brown. They are best when very cool. Right now our house is a bit cooler so they do fine in the cookie jar but in the summer they will probably do better in the fridge. These are just too yummy. Thanks Esther!

Recipe Review for Grain-Free Sticky Buns (SCD)

2011-01-30T15:28:00.000-08:00

I guess if I have a resolution for 2011 it is less stalking and more cooking. I love food blogs and always see so many delicious ideas. I must have poor meal planning skills because my mind goes blank when it's time to write up a shopping list for the week. I'm going to try to start making all of the recipes I have bookmarked. If you're going to have a resolution or a goal, it might as well be a tasty one, right?
I've had this recipe bookmarked for over a year. It's a recipe review of "Wendy's Cinnamon Rolls" on Heal-Balance-Live. These are sooo yummy. The only alteration I did was use pecan meal in place of the almond flour in the Spice Mix. I haven't had sticky buns since going gluten-free and these were a real treat. Thanks Karen and Wendy!

Fridge Art Gallery - Treasures of a 5 Year Old

2011-01-28T11:27:00.000-08:00

It doesn't take much to make my five year old happy. One empty egg carton and he's off on a treasure hunt.

Off the subject, The Healthy Skeptic has an interesting article on Dietary Toxins.

Creamy Shrimp Bisque (SCD)

2011-01-24T15:02:00.000-08:00

Did you know that January is National Soup Month? Lauren of Celiac Teen is hosting this months Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten Free. The theme is "Follow the Calendar" and January has more food holidays than you can beat with a stick. Soup is my favorite one, especially creamy bisques and chowders.

The idea for this soup came from Raman Prasad's "Red Pepper and Tomato Soup" in Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. I love this cookbook! If you are on the SCD, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, or just very serious about a whole foods diet, it's worth checking out.

Today's batch I made with creepy store bought wintertime tomatoes, not the best for flavor. For those of you not on the SCD, you may opt for a large can of whole tomatoes. For those of you on the SCD, this soup is a good inspiration to freeze those fabulous summer garden ones for winter recipes.

The creaminess comes from yogurt. Homemade yogurt that has been fermented for 24 hours has almost no lactose in it, the bacteria breaks it down. Many Celiacs also have lactose intolerance. Oh, I forgot to mention, this recipe makes a lot.

Creamy Shrimp Bisque (SCD)

2 Red Bell Peppers
7 Roma Tomatoes
1 cup Carrots
1 Onion
2 TBSP Butter
2 Cups Chicken Stock
Salt to taste
1 pound Cooked Shrimp, peeled and tails off
1 to 2 cups Yogurt or Yogurt Cream

To roast and skin peppers: Rinse and slice peppers lengthwise into quarters. Remove seeds. Place on an oiled baking sheet, skin sides up and place under broiler until skin is bubbly and has black spots. Turn oven off and let peppers sit in warm oven awhile.

To skin tomatoes: Boil a large pot of water. Drop in tomatoes. When skin splits, remove and add to a bowl of cold water. Skin should come right off.

Pull out peppers and let cool. Peel of the papery skins.

Add carrots and onion to a food processor. Pulse just until finely minced. Heat butter in a large pot, add carrots and onion and saute until tender. Add tomatoes and bell pepper to food processor and puree. Run through a sieve and pour strained mixture into carrots and onions. Add chicken stock and heat to boiling. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Salt to taste.

Put shrimp into food processor and pulse until finely minced. Add to pot and heat through. Stir in yogurt and heat about 1 minute. Serve.

Banana Almond Butter Pancakes (SCD, GFCF)

2011-01-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

My parents are visiting and these pancakes were a big hit for breakfast. When it finally dawned on me I had not taken a photo yet, they were nearly devoured, except for this lonely one. I got the idea for these from this recipe on Marks Daily Apple.

This post is linked to "Fightback Fridays" at the Food Renegade

Banana Almond Butter Pancakes

1 ripe Banana
1/2 cup Almond Butter
2 Eggs
2 TBSP Honey
1/4 teas Sea Salt
1/4 teas Baking Soda
1/2 teas. Vanilla
dash of Cinnamon

In a medium size mixing bowl, puree banana, with a hand mixer or with a potato masher. Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Cook over a medium heat on a lightly oiled griddle. They burn easy so you may need to lower your heat a tad. Makes 10-12 palm sized pancakes.

When Good Bananas Go Bad (SCD)

2011-01-13T10:49:00.000-08:00

I always buy produce with the best of intentions, but it's not uncommon to get busy and forget about my plans. Then it's too late. Bananas are a little more inclined to give you a second chance. Very ripe bananas are the best state for your baked banana goodies. Don't have time right now to bake? That's OK too, because they freeze very well. Just peel them and place in a freezer baggie, they will keep for a couple months. (However, if the bananas have any mold then you need to toss them) The enzymes will continue to break them down a little while frozen, so they will have even more of a banana aroma and flavor in your baked goods. You will need to thaw them in the fridge and pour off excess juice before you use them.

Here are some SCD/GAPS friendly ideas for using bananas:

Nana Bread from yours truly
Banana Caramel Sticky Buns from Grain-Free Foodies
Banana Souffles from Comfy Tummy
Banana Almond Butter Pancakes from me
Almond Milk Silver Dollar Bananas and Flourless Banana Pancakes from Z's Cup of Tea
Pure Banana Ice Cream and Banoffee Pie Canapes from Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried
Banana Breakfast and Banana Bread also from Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried
Yonana Muffins from Eating SCD
Banana Blueberry Muffins from Comfy Belly
Here's a whole collection of banana recipes at SCD Recipes

Bringing in a New Year

2011-01-04T07:51:00.000-08:00

Happy 2011! This time of year we always wonder what's in store for us. I didn't eat my black eyed-peas, so I might be off to a bad start. (but they're not SCD legal, and my husband won't touch them, so what to do?)

When I first started this blog, about 20 months ago, I thought I would have a lot more research type posts and pages up. I also thought I would have all of "Our Story" pages done. So much for that....people plan, God laughs. I really don't know what this year will bring. My schedule is going to be nutso for the next four months and my posts might be sporadic. But I still have to eat, so I should be able to get a few recipes up at least.

I got a chance to speak at our local natural food group about the role of food and children's mental health. My new "Food and Mental Health" page is the link page I made as a hand out. There are so many more links I hope to add to it, for adults and children. As a mother who has watched my child's health overcome what the medical community has thrown their hands up and said was impossible, I think it's vital the public is made aware of the information on food and mental health. Research confirms there is a link for many people, not all, but MANY. The fact that mainstream medicine still considers this voodoo is in my opinion, an irresponsible atrocity. (the mother grizzly bear in me really comes out here).

Some items of note on the "Food and Mental Health" page:

In the journal article titled " Mercury exposure, nutritional deficiencies and metabolic disruptions may affect learning in children. " This article discusses many of the additives in the modern diet that cause nutritional deficiencies. Mercury can be found in trace amounts in high fructose corn syrup and can contribute to zinc deficiency.

In the journal article "A good-quality breakfast is associated with better mental health in adolescence", found that the more food groups the child ate for breakfast, the better the mental health. So much for just the usual bowl of cereal.

In the Times article "Wheat-free diet gives food for thought", they discuss a wheat free diet for Dyslexics. There is a school for dyslexics in England. One student was temporarily put on a wheat free diet by his doctor for digestive issues. The child's reading level jumped. So the school tried the diet and 77 percent of the students made a significant improvement. Many dyslexics also have ADHD, and there are a few medical studies linking Celiac's disease as a co-morbid condition with ADHD.

This post is linked to "Fightback Fridays" at the Food Renegade.

Easy Bourbon Sauce with Honey (SCD)

2010-12-31T12:04:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!

This is a scrumptious dessert sauce. For good results, use a good quality bourbon, such as Makers Mark or Knob Creek. As Ina would say, no "gut rot, porch climbing hooch". I'm going to try this batch with some sauteed bananas and pound cake. This was adapted from Joy of Cooking.

Easy Bourbon Sauce with Honey (SCD)

8 TBSP (one stick) Butter
1 cup Honey
1/4 cup Bourbon
A few dashes of Sea Salt
1 large Egg

Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add honey, bourbon and salt. Cook while stirring until ingredients are well combined. Whisk egg in a small bowl until light and frothy. Remove saucepan from heat and whisk in egg. Return to stove and cook over medium heat, gently stirring, until mixture boils up. Cook another one to two minutes. Cool until thickened. This will keep refrigerated for up to three days, if it lasts that long.

Broccoli Cheese Casserole (SCD)

2010-12-26T10:24:00.000-08:00

Here's my can-free version of this classic casserole. It's just as easy too. Yogurt made with half and half takes the place of sour cream.

Broccoli Cheese Casserole

1 heaping cup of fresh Mushroom cut into pieces/bits
1 TBSP Butter
1 cup Mayonnaise
1 cup Yogurt Cream (Yogurt made with Half and Half)
2 cups (8 oz) Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 (16 oz) bag frozen Broccoli
about 1/2 cup SCD Seasoned Bread Crumbs (easy from Heal-Balance-Live)

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small skillet, saute mushroom bits in melted butter until lightly browned.

In a large mixing bowl combine mayo, yogurt, and shredded cheese. Stir in cooked mushrooms. Stir in frozen broccoli. Scoop into a casserole dish, I used a 9" x 9" Pyrex dish. Sprinkle with seasoned SCD breadcrumbs. Bake 30- 40 minutes until bubbly.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

2010-12-23T17:11:00.000-08:00

Last night we went to the annual "Carol" party hosted by my cousin Julie every year. She always tries to include a couple of dishes my son and I can eat. This year she made chicken salad and this colorful vegetable dish with cucumbers, carrots and cherry tomatoes. I thought it was great.

This is one of the Carol cards. Julie made these cards 15 years ago (I've heard you can now buy them already made, but homemade is more charming). It's like Bingo, but with Christmas pictures. Gordon was old enough this year to play and he loved it. It's been something the five year olds and the eighty year olds can play. We always look forward to Carol. Do you have any fun family traditions?

Avgolemono Soup - For What Ails You (SCD, GFCF)

2010-12-19T14:06:00.000-08:00

It was bound to happen. An occupational hazard of my new career change has just caught up with me. I think I might have the flu. Since October I have been a rural convenience store clerk. I really enjoy my job. I also get the local scoop on what's going on in our little town. This scoop always includes what bugs are going around as well. I see lots of stuffed-up folks and parents who have been up all night with a sick kid (some of them in my son's class) come in for Gatorade, seven-up, over the medicines, and of course, cans of chicken noodle soup. It was only a matter of time for it to arrive in our household. We've done well so far, which I suspect the extra vitamin C, elderberry and junk free diet has helped. Now that it's here, I want to find the best ways to get rid of it. There's much to be said for age old remedies, especially the one about chicken soup. It's even been dubbed "Jewish Penicillin". As usual, science eventually catches up with what grandmothers have known all along (here, here, here, and here).

However, Greek folks will tell you that it's not just any chicken soup that can do this. They will say it is their mother's avgolemono soup that can cure anything. I have had the honor of watching a greek friend's mother prepare this soup. Traditionally it contains orzo, a small gluten pasta. For those of you who consume gluten, you can cook the orzo in the broth before adding the egg mixture. For those of you who eat rice (non SCD legal), you can add a cup of cooked rice to the soup.

Avgolemono Soup

4 cups Chicken Broth
3 Large Eggs
Juice of one Lemon

In a tall stock pot, heat both to a boil. In a small bowl, using a hand mixer, mix eggs until frothy, about 30 seconds. Add lemon juice and blend another 30 seconds. Then, with and oven mitt, slightly rock stock pot back and forth, without sloshing to broth out of the pot. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the pot while rocking it. The goal is to combine the egg and the broth without separating the egg. Heat for about one minute. Enjoy.

Can a Grain-Free Diet Reverse Tooth Decay?

2010-12-11T13:53:00.000-08:00

Here's an interesting post from Stephen Guyenet of Whole Health Source called Dr. Mellanby's Tooth Decay Reversal Diet. He discusses a study published in 1924 called "Remarks on the Influence of a Cereal-free Diet Rich in Vitamin D and Calcium on Dental Caries in Children". Three different diets were studied for their effect on dental caries. The grain-free diet supplemented with vitamin D not only slowed the rate of dental caries, but actually reversed some decay.

Book Review - How to Peel a Peach by Perla Meyers

2010-12-05T17:47:00.000-08:00

For many of us with food allergies, special diets, and those of us just wanting to get healthier, gone are the recipes which call for a 'can of this and a box of that mix'. We get better acquainted with our vegetables from the produce section, our meats from the butcher and try to figure out how to do it from scratch. Or at least we try...and without Great Great Grandmother around to give us tips, we learn from scratch as well. That's where this book becomes so valuable. Perla Meyers is an author of eight cookbooks, a graduate of the Ecole Hoteliere in Lausanne, Switzerland, and one of the countries leading cooking instructors. With the exception of using canned tomatoes, everything she does is from scratch. She is the master. And she's written a book full of those wonderful tips that help you pick the right produce and meats, the right cooking methods and the right tools to do the job. The book also includes 150 recipes. It is not gluten-free or SCD, but many of the recipes are naturally gluten-free, SCD or easy to tweak. She uses lots of vegetables which are very beneficial to those of us who are grain-free. I have found that the tips alone are worth reading the book.
Some of the tips covered:
What cut of beef do you use for making fajitas?
How long can I store vanilla beans?
Which salad greens keep best?
Is there a difference between butternut and buttercup squash?
What kind of pasta sauce goes well with spaghetti squash?
How important is it to peel and seed the tomatoes when making homemade tomato sauce?
How many shrimp are there in a pound?
I have trouble finding juicy lemons in the summer. Why?
How can you tell a really fresh blueberry?

For those of you who enjoy reading cookbooks this is a gem. Well worth a trip to the library. It's been around awhile (2004) so used copies on amazon are reasonable.

Jelled Cranberry Sauce with Honey and Mixed Berries (SCD, GFCF)

2010-11-30T09:11:00.000-08:00

It's funny how everyone has a different opinion on how holiday dishes are supposed to taste. I've heard people grumble about going to an in laws house for Thanksgiving because they don't make the stuffing right. Or that they prefer ham but the in laws make turkey. Or that no one could make pumpkin pie like their mother. Or that so-and-so doesn't even make pumpkin pie and all they served was cake.

My grandmother made the best cranberry sauce. It was quite easy and so yummy. She used boxed cherry jello, applesauce and cranberry sauce. I loved it. To me, that was how cranberry sauce was supposed to taste. For three years I have been trying to make a SCD version and I finally got it! It doesn't have any applesauce in it at all, but it tastes just like hers.

I used fresh cranberries for this but have been told that frozen cranberries are less tart. I have not tried it yet but they would probably work. The raspberries and strawberries cut out most of the tartness leaving only a hint.

Note: For those following the SCD, make sure the frozen berries have no added ingredients.

2 (12 oz each) bags Fresh Cranberries
1 (10 oz) bag Frozen Raspberries, thawed
1 (10 oz) bag Frozen Strawberries, thawed
1 1/2 cups Honey
4 packets (about 4 TBSP) Knox Unflavored Gelatin
2 cups Water
1 cup Water

Pick out and mushy or pale cranberries. I wound up with about 5 cups. Rinse cranberries and place in a medium saucepan with 2 cups water and other berries. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, pour in 1 cup cold water. Sprinkle in gelatin and let it sit.

Hold a large mesh strainer over the bowl with the gelatin. Ladle the softened cranberry mixture into the strainer, a few ladles at a time, and use a wooden spoon to press through the mesh. Stir the hot liquid with the gelatin to dissolve. Then ladle in the rest of the berries into the strainer. Repeat. Stir in the honey. Cover and refrigerate overnight until set.

Recipe Review for Zucchini Casserole from H-B-L and I've Been Tagged

2010-11-27T13:30:00.000-08:00

I made the Zucchini Casserole recipe from Heal-Balance-Live for Thanksgiving this year and it was wonderful. I wasn't able to get a good photo of it though. For one, casseroles are hard to photograph. Then, this was the last dish to come out of the oven and hit the table in time to eat, and we all just pounced on it...getting the camera was not on my mind. I've had this recipe bookmarked for awhile and wish I'd made it sooner. I love casseroles and this was perfect...flavorful, cheesy and homey, mmmm. Karen's "SCD Seasoned Breadcrumbs" recipe for the topping was very good and would be perfect to add to some other dishes. I might try it on my "Mac" and Cheese.

This recipe does take some planning to get much of the moisture out of the zucchini. Karen recommends starting five hours before. I did, placing the shredded zucchini in a large mesh colander and setting it over a mixing bowl. I lightly salted it and every now and then I would wring it with my hands (clean hands of course). Over time there was a lot of liquid in the bowl, which I dumped on my flowerbed. I doubled the cheese it called for and it worked well. This was so good I'll be making it again soon!!

Also for Thanksgiving, a nice post from The Daily Lipid called Thanksgiving, A Source of Eternal Joy. I think this post reminds us of what the holiday season is truly about.

Also in the news...I've been tagged. Ina of Gluten-Free Delightfully Delicious tagged me in a game of food blog tag. It's a game that gives us a chance to know our food blogging neighbors a little better. I answer 10 questions from Ina, and then I get to "tag" other bloggers with my 10 questions. So here goes:

1. What is your absolute favorite food? (this can be a tough one, so go ahead and include a few)
I think spices and herbs are. They allow you to make everything taste good.

2. Who is your favorite Food Mentor, or Chef, and why?
My grandmother, she taught me to cook. We could always talk about food.

3. What meal did you first cook, that inspired you to become a better cook, and to create new recipes?
Actually it was a cookie, not a meal. I don't remember my first attempt, but my parents do. When I was a toddler they woke up to the smell of burning and found me in the kitchen with a plate of beans on the stove. I looked at them and said "chocolate man". The time I do remember was kindergarten. In class we made a no bake cookie. The first time my mom left me and a friend home alone, I pulled out flour, sugar and food coloring and tried to go off memory. My mom came home to a mess, and I have been determined ever since to be a better cook. I would cut out photos of food as a child and dream of making them one day.

4. What is your favorite cook book?
I am a total cookbook whore. I read cookbooks on vacation, for fun, before I go to bed, etc. I absolutely love them. I have too many favs to mention. Some are Elaine Corn's 365 Ways to Cook Eggs, The Joy of Cooking, just about anything in the Wei-Chaun Publishing Series... and more recent Dana Carpender's 500 Low Carb Recipes.

5. What kitchen gadget can you not live without in the kitchen and why?
My timer. I'm so absent minded that I fully depend on it.

6. Where in the world would you most love to eat, and what food would that be?
Malaysia, and it would be just about anything they served me.

7. What are some of your favorite recipes on your blog?
The curry and wing recipes.

8. What food, will you absolutely not eat and why?

I used to say Brussels Sprouts, but I've finally found ways to enjoy them. Lately, I have read about how healthy organ meats are for you. I can eat liver, but not brains, heart, etc. I wish I could because I think they are very beneficial, but ewww.

9. Do you grow your own food? And if so, what is your favorite food to grow?
I wish I had time to. Eddie has been the gardener so far. I would like to grow pickling cucumbers and learn how to make pickles.

10.Who in the world, would you most love to share a beautiful dinner with?
My husband Eddie.

Now, I would like to tag:

Paul of Eating SCD
Zoe of Z's Cup of Tea
Tracey of Unbreaded
Stephanie of The Dairy Free Diva
Melanie of A Foodies Fall from Grace

Here are my 10 questions:
1. What is your first cooking memory?
2. Which two spices, herbs or flavorings do you find most useful (besides salt and pepper)?
3. If you could be a fly on the wall of any kitchen, which one would it be? (past, present or future)
4. If you could invite a historical figure to your home to cook dinner for who would it be? (past, present or future)
5. If you could spend one week in any country in the world, in an average kitchen, learning to cook the local cuisine, which country would it be?
6. When you are very busy, what easy meal/dish do you usually prepare?
7. What are your favorite recipes on your blog?
8. If you could have anyone cook a meal for you, who would it be?
9. Is there a meal you will never forget? Describe it?
10.What is your favorite dessert?

Grain-Free Cranberry Crumb Cake (SCD, GFCF)

2010-11-21T17:20:00.000-08:00

This is perfect for dessert, breakfast, brunch or just nibbling. This cake tastes best the next day, when the flavor of the orange zest starts to peek in.

Grain-Free Cranberry Crumb Cake

2 1/2 cups Almond Flour
1/2 teas. Sea Salt
1 teas. Baking Soda
4 Eggs
1/3 cup Oil
1/2 cup Honey
1 TBSP Vanilla
1/4 teas. Almond Extract (optional)
Zest from one medium size Orange or two Clementines
1 1/2 to 2 cups Whole Cranberries

Crumb Topping

1 cup Pecan Meal
1/2 cup Almond Flour
1 1/2 teas. Cinnamon
2 TBSP Honey
2 1/2 TBSP Melted Butter, Ghee or Oil (use oil for GFCF)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 inch Springform pan with parchment paper.

For the cake: Rinse cranberries and pick out any soggy ones. In a large mixing bowl, combine almond flour, salt and baking soda. In a small bowl combine all wet ingredients. Stir into almond flour until combined. Stir in orange zest and cranberries. Pour into prepared pan.

For the Crumb Topping: In a small mixing bowl, combine pecan meal, almond flour and cinnamon. In a separate bowl combine honey and melted butter. Pour into pecan meal mixture and combine. Sprinkle on top of cake batter.

Bake about 40 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick tests fairly clean. Note: I place my springform pan on an aluminum cookie sheet while baking to catch any leakage, this may affect my cooking time.

This post is linked to Momnivore's Holiday Link Party.

SCD for the Holidays

2010-11-07T06:07:00.001-08:00

Holidays are a time of favorite and treasured recipes. My grandmother's pumpkin bread and snickerdoodles will always come to mind when I think of the holidays. I thought our first SCD holiday was going to be a bust, then I stumbled upon a few good recipes and some new favorites came to light. Let's let that light burn brightly on all of our holiday tables this season!

Do you have a couple good SCD/GAPS recipes perfect for the season? Maybe even more than a couple? Do you have a story about the Specific Carbohydrate Diet or GAPS Diet and the Holidays? If so, please feel free to share it with us. Here's how:

1. In the Mr. Linky Widget below, in the "Your Name" box, add the title of your post and a brief description of your blog. example: Grain-Free Butter Cookies (Mrs Ed)

2. In the "URL" box, be sure you use the link to your recipe post, not your blog in general.

3. If possible, in your post, put a link back to this one so everyone can find more great SCD/GAPS holiday recipes.

4. If you're not sure if your recipe is 100 percent SCD legal, please check out the ingredients here.

Your recipe can be an older post. Add as many recipes as you want, however, if you have more than three or four you may want to put all of your holiday recipe links on one post and just use that one here. example: My SCD/GAPS Holiday Table Favorites (Mrs Ed)

Remember, stories and articles on the SCD/GAPS diet and the Holidays are welcome too. At some point I will create a SCD/GAPS Holiday Recipes page and compile all of the links.

Note: For Recipe link number 4, Kat's Sweet Potato and Apple Casserole, use this recipe with Butternut Squash, as Sweet Potatoes are not SCD friendly

My SCD/GAPS Holiday Table Favorites

2010-11-06T06:53:00.000-07:00

Here's a list of links to some of my recipes you may find useful this holiday season. This post may be updated from now till the end of the year. I'm working on a few things, and if they work out I will add more links.

Flavorful Holiday Turkey

Breads

'Nana Bread A flavorful banana bread
Grain-Free Sandwich Bread Perfect for a turkey sandwich
Grain-Free Bread
Golden Bread
Rustic Hazelnut Bread

Appetizers

Rustic Hazelnut Crackers
Cheesy Sunflower Crackers
Spinach Parmesan Crackers
Savory Vegetable Dill Crackers
Liver Pate with Hazelnuts This is a very mild and smooth pate
Pimento Cheese Spread
Garlic Anchovy Dip
Rutabaga Chips

Holiday Sides

Jelled Cranberry Sauce with Honey and Mixed Berries
Brussels Sprouts There are two of my own recipes here, plus links to many more
Broccoli Cheese Casserole
Lemony Watercress and Cauliflower Salad A colorful addition to your table
Spinach Cheese Bake A comfort dish that is easy to put together
"Mac" and Cheese
Marinated Artichoke and Cauliflower Salad
And not really a recipe: A bowl of artichoke hearts marinated in your favorite vinaigrette makes for an easy side, plus you can make it the day before

Desserts and Sweets

Grain-Free Butter Cookies
Grain-Free Cranberry Crumb Cake
Elaine's Almond Roca
Pound Cake
Moist and Simple Coconut Cake
Raspberry Coconut "Zinger" Style Cupcakes
Deep Dish Pie Crust
Caramel Apple Tart
Butterscotch Sauce and Caramel Sauce
"Cream Cheese" Frosting
Coconut Pecan Frosting
Bourbon Coconut Pecan Frosting

Grain-Free Butter Cookies (SCD)

2010-11-03T16:05:00.001-07:00

This is adapted from Elana's "Star Cookies for St. Lucia". I found this recipe and Elana's website just in time for our first SCD holiday season. My son was three then and was thrilled to have these cookies, they have been a favorite ever since. The other great thing about this recipe...the cookie dough. It's makes the best cookie dough, Gordon and I sometimes eat more than we bake! I have adapted it to the SCD and replaced the coconut oil with butter, as my son has a severe coconut sensitivity.

This post is linked to "Calling All Cookies" at the Sensitive Pantry.

Grain-Free Butter Cookies

2 1/2 cup Almond Flour
1/2 teas. Sea Salt
1/4 teas. Baking Soda
1 teas. Cinnamon
1/2 cup (one stick) Butter, melted or very soft
5 TBSP. Honey
2 teas. Vanilla Extract
1/2 teas. Almond Extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line one or two cookie sheets (depending on how much dough you've nibbled on) with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. In a small bowl combine the wet ingredients. Stir wet ingredients into dry.

If you are not making cut out cookies: Chill in refrigerator for one hour. Roll into one inch balls, place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly press down. Bake 7-10 minutes until very lightly browned.

To make cut out cookies, chill dough in freezer for one or two hours. (You can also keep dough in the freezer to have on hand) Cut out several 6 inch by 6 inch squares of wax paper. Roll a golf ball size of cookie dough between two sheets of wax paper. Peel off top sheet and cut out cookie shape. Flip over onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Peel off other piece of wax paper.
Bake 7-10 minutes until very lightly browned.

Chile Rellenos Con Pollo (SCD) Stuffed Chilies with Chicken

2010-10-27T16:13:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to come up with a grain-free replacement for chicken enchiladas, the kind smothered in green chili sauce. I decided to try my chicken enchilada filling in a poblano pepper. The result was amazing and flavorful, if I do say so myself.

This is also my submission for this week's Fightback Friday, a real food web carnival at Food Renegade

Chile Rellenos Con Pollo (Stuffed Chilies with Chicken)

6 to 8 Poblano Chili Peppers
1 pound Chicken, cooked and shredded
3 or 4 cups Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Onion, finely diced

Sauce

1 cup Tomato Sauce
1/2 teas. Cumin
1/2 teas. Oregano
1 Clove Garlic, minced

To roast and skin the chilies: Put chilies on a baking sheet and place under the broiler. Watch closely, when the skins get bubbly, remove and turn over to broil the other side. Remove and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, peel the papery skins off. Then carefully make a slit in the side of each chili and scoop out the seeds. If you are going to touch the seeds with your hands then you may want to wear gloves.

Place chilies in a baking dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl combine the shredded chicken, two cups of cheese and onion. Spoon into the chilies. Combine sauce ingredients. Pour over the stuffed chilies. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until cheese is melted.

My Crock Pot is My Stock Pot - Homemade Chicken Broth (SCD, GFCF)

2010-10-25T08:21:00.000-07:00

Canned chicken broth can have hidden sources of allergens, especially yeast extract. Plus, some brands can really be expensive as well. Using a crock pot to make homemade broth is a cinch!

I actually have two ways I do it, depending on what I'm making it from. Plan A is for when I am making broth from chicken parts. Our grocer often has chicken necks for very cheap, which are ideal. Plan B is for when I'm cooking a whole chicken. I have a crock pot that does a little over two quarts, if your crock pot is a different size you may need to adjust.

Homemade Chicken Broth Plan A

1 to 2 Pounds of Chicken Parts (Necks work well)
About 2 quarts of water
1 TBSP Herbs de Provence (I use Morten & Bassett brand)
Sea Salt to taste
A few dashes of Turmeric (this will give it a golden color)
1/2 of a Yellow Onion, roughly chopped
Two handfuls fresh Parsely

Other options to add:
Two sticks celery
Celery Leaves
One or two Carrots
A couple large slices of Zucchini

Add all to crock pot, cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 12 hours. Chill, strain and then place overnight in a pitcher in the fridge. The next day you can remove the fat and use. You can freeze the broth in various sizes to have on hand. I like to do one and two cup portions, plus have some frozen in ice cubes.

Homemade Chicken Broth Plan B

This is how I make the most of a whole chicken, I use my crock pot two days in a row.

One small whole Chicken
Water
Salt to taste
A few dashes of Turmeric
A few dashes of Herbs de Provence

Remove any parts that are placed in the cavity of the chicken, place them in the fridge and save for round 2 (except for the liver, use that for pate or something else). Remove flaps of skin and fat (if you want to render it for later use see links below). Rinse chicken and place in crock pot. Add water to fill just about 2 inches below lid. Add seasonings. Cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 12 hours.

Remove chicken from crock pot and remove meat from chicken and use. Save carcass, bones and parts (put them in the fridge to use for round two the next day). Pour the broth into a pitcher and refrigerate. The next day remove chilled layer of fat on the top of broth. This batch of broth is what most cooks will refer to as "rich or strong" chicken broth. Use or freeze for later.

Now take the carcass and parts and follow directions for Plan A. This will make a light chicken broth.

Other SCD/GAPS chicken stock and soup recipes:

Not a recipe, just a great post from the Food Renegade: America Needs More Brothels

Homemade Chicken Stock from Amy of Simply Gluten and Sugar Free

Another broth recipe from Karen of Heal-Balance-Live. Her link to the fabulous Weston Price article "Broth is Beautiful" is updated here.

Kat of Kat's Food Blog also has one for the crock pot, How to Make Chicken Soup in a Slow-Cooker

Mmmm...Chicken and Dumpling Soup from Erica at Comfy Belly

Exotic Egg Flower Soup from Grain-Free Foodies

Comfy Tummy has Basic SCD Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken "Noodle" Soup from Elana's Pantry

Here's some more helpful links to make the most of your chicken:

The Whole Bird

The Whole Bird - From the Weston Price Foundation

Roast Chicken Made Better, Start to Finish

Fat and Schmaltz

Chicken Fat--Some Interesting Facts

Mike Wolfberg's Recipe for Rendered Chicken Fat

Schmaltz & Grieven at FoodMayhem (recipes)

Schmaltz Recipe at Recipes Zaar

Garlic Parmesan Wings (SCD)

2010-10-14T18:49:00.000-07:00

Excuse the bad flash photography, these are much better than they look here. I love wings and fall get togethers are a great time to serve them.

This is also my submission for this week's Fightback Friday, a real food web carnival at Food Renegade

3-5 lbs Chicken Wings
Oil for frying
1/2 cup (one stick) Butter, melted
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
3 or 4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 TBSP Parsley, finely chopped
3/4 to 1 cup Parmesan Cheese, finely shredded

Rinse wings and pat dry. In a large skillet over high heat, heat enough oil for wings. Add wings to hot oil and fry until lightly browned and slightly crispy. Turning occasionally. This usually takes me about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a very large bowl, whisk melted butter and mayo until smooth and creamy. Whisk in garlic and parsley. Let sit while wings cook. When wings are done, toss in bowl with sauce. Toss in cheese. Serve with towels.

Here's more SCD/GAPS friendly chicken wing recipes:

Honey Ginger Wings from yours truly

Sticky Bat Wings from Comfy Tummy

Superbowl Wings from Life Lines

Satay Chicken Wings from Maureen's List

SCD Lifestyle

2010-09-19T17:52:00.000-07:00

I actually had my first blog interview! Steve and Jordan of SCD Lifestyle are doing a series called "SCD Spotlight" featuring SCD blogs. I love hearing other stories so I'm looking forward to these spotlight posts. My interview is here. Thanks guys!

Honey and Intestinal Flora

2010-09-14T10:45:00.000-07:00

Honey is legal on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet for digestive reasons. It is a monosaccaride which requires almost no work for a damaged digestive tract to process. It may also offer another benefit for the gi tract. Here's is an interesting research article finding that it may help with intestinal flora. Effect of dietary honey on intestinal microflora and toxicity of mycotoxins in mice is a fairly easy to read piece. It's conclusion "Substituting sugars with honey in processed food can inhibit the harmful and genotoxic effects of mycotoxins, and improve the gut microflora."

Garlic Anchovy Dip (SCD)

2010-09-11T16:02:00.001-07:00

I saw a recipe for this in Diane Rozas "Spreads, Toppers, & Dips" and was intrigued. I had to try it out of curiosity. I adapted it to what I had on hand. Don't let the word "anchovy" scare you here, they add a boldness to the dip, but they are not fishy.

Garlic Anchovy Dip

1 (1 1/2 oz) jar Anchovy Fillets in Olive Oil, drained
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1/4 cup water
1 cup Yogurt Cream (yogurt made from half and half)
2 TBSP Parsley, more for garnish

In a small skillet, bring anchovies, garlic and water to a boil. Reduce heat and boil until thickened, stirring. Cool.

Put all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Chill

Great Recipe: Roasted Green Beans and Shrimp from Kaylyn's Kitchen (SCD, GFCF)

2010-09-05T17:30:00.000-07:00

I love Kaylyn's Kitchen. Her website is Low Carb, but she has so many recipes that are naturally GF and SCD friendly. Her vegetable dishes are very creative, I like to leave comments nagging her to do a vegetable cookbook.

I loved this recipe for Spicy Roasted Green Beans and Shrimp. This recipe uses coriander, cumin and red pepper flakes, a wonderful combination with green beans Roasting the green beans gives them a nutty flavor and they still have a bite to them. This dish was also easy to make, perfect for a busy weeknight supper.
Thanks Kaylyn!

Adopt a GF Blogger: Flip Cookbook & Sunset Gazpacho (SCD, GFCF)

2010-08-29T14:35:00.000-07:00

Shirley of Gluten-Free Easily is hosting "Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger" this month. It's a cool web carnival idea. You "adopt" a gluten-free blogger, then make and post one of their recipes. It's a great way to stop stalking some of these wonderful gf websites, and actually make the recipes.

My adoptees' are Raj and Sonia of Flip Cookbook. I was first aware of their site in May when I was hosting "Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free". Raj submitted Mango Kulfi. I was thrilled to know there was a GF and SCD blog with an Indian flair. I adore Indian food. And the recipes and photos are absolutely gorgeous. Everything looks so crisp and flavorful. It was so hard deciding which recipe to make!

I couldn't resist this recipe for Sunset Gazpacho. I've been wanting to try a gazpacho and this one was so colorful, and mango is a favorite flavor in our home.

The ingredients were mango, orange juice, extra-virgin olive oil, cucumber, bell pepper (I used a red one), onion (I used green onion), garlic, jalapeno (optional), lime juice, basil or cilantro, salt and pepper.

I was surprised how easy it was to make...no cooking! This will be a great recipes to impress company as well, they'll never know you didn't slave over a hot stove. This gazpacho would also be a good first course to a grilled meat or seafood meal.

I'm a big fan of Flip Cookbook. I can't wait to try more recipes. Thanks Raj and Sonia.

A Good Excuse to Play in the Dirt

2010-08-26T13:06:00.000-07:00

My son's health seems much more vibrant when he's had plenty of time to play outdoors. While the first thing that comes to mind is Vitamin D, I have suspected there's much more to it. I have tried supplementing his wintertime diet with Cod Liver Oil, but he's still not the same. It turns out playing in dirt offers health and brain benefits. There is an interesting article called "Breathing soil bacteria makes you smarter" on Mother Nature Network. After reading this, you may want to roll up your sleeves and join your kids (or someone else's) in the sandbox.

Busy Busy

2010-08-22T18:04:00.000-07:00

I'm afraid I haven't had a chance to post the last couple of weeks. We spent a weekend cleaning out our five year old for a colonscopy, not a fun job. He was a real trooper. I'm relieved the procedure went well. We promised him a trip to Sea World the next weekend.

This is our 36 pound child going down a large water slide at Sea World. He loved it! All you could see was an inner tube with two little hands and a top of a head flying by.

And of course, Shamu, the big attraction at Sea World. We also had a fabulous gluten-free restaurant experience in San Antonio. I will post a restaurant review as soon as I get a chance. As for tomorrow, it's the first day of kindergarten.

Grain-Free Sandwich Bread (SCD, GFCF)

2010-08-08T16:39:00.000-07:00

This is currently our favorite bread. It reminds me of a nutty whole grain bread without the chewy things that catch in your teeth. It's adapted from Elana Amsterdam's recipe "Scrumptious Sandwich Bread". The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook has been a great source of inspiration. Her suggestion for storing grain-free bread works well also. When the bread is cooled, wrap in a paper towel, put in a plastic bag and refrigerate.

This is also my submission for this week's Fightback Friday, a real food web carnival at Food Renegade

3/4 cup Almond Butter (room temp.)
4 Large Eggs
1/2 cup Almond Flour
1/2 teas. Sea Salt
1/2 teas. Baking Soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper (I used a 4" x 8", but a bit smaller might work better).

In a small bowl, combine dry ingredients.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the almond butter with an electric mixer. Add eggs and mix. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Spoon into loaf pan.

Bake about 35 minutes until a toothpick test comes up dry. Cool and slice.

Zoe, of Z's Cup of Tea, has a similar recipe for Mini Almond Butter Loaves. I haven't tried them yet but the photo looks yummy.

Salade Nicoise with a Twist (SCD, GFCF)

2010-07-22T10:07:00.000-07:00

Here's yet another adaption from Dana Carpender's "Low Carb Recipes", called "Nicer Nicoise". I did not add true Nicoise olives (our secret), Kalamata's did just fine. You can use any type of olive here. I also did not add any anchovies to the vinaigrette, but they would be a nice touch.

This is my submission for this month's "Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free". Sheryl of Breaking Bread is the hostess and the theme is Ooh La La Bastille Day

Salade Nicoise with a Twist

1 Head Cauliflower, diced small
1 Bag Frozen Green Beans, thawed (I used a 7 oz bag french cut)
1/3 cup Red Onion, diced
Handful Fresh Parsley, minced
Handful Olives, sliced
2 or 3 cans Tuna, drained
1 can Artichoke Hearts, quartered (check for SCD/GF ingredients)
Hard Boiled Eggs, as many as you like
Tomato Wedges, as many as you like

Vinaigrette (or use 1 cup of your favorite):

3/4 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Vinegar (any kind)
1 clove Garlic, minced (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 to 1 teaspoon mustard (powdered or prepared)

Steam cauliflower just until tender. Rinse under cold water.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cauliflower, green beans, onion, parsley, olives and tuna.

Prepare Vinaigrette by whisking all ingredients until combined. Toss with salad. Chill. To serve, garnish with tomato wedges, egg wedges and artichoke hearts.

SCD and Nut-Free

2010-07-15T10:32:00.000-07:00

I've added two new labels to my Recipes index. I now have one for Nut-Free and GFCF-Nut-Free For those of you looking for SCD and Nut-Free recipes, The Serious Mom at One Lovely Mess, has a list of GAPS/SCD Nut-Free recipes. There's many I hope to try.

Great Recipe: SCD Pizza Crust at Heal-Balance-Live (SCD)

2010-07-14T17:38:00.001-07:00

This pizza crust is from Karen at Heal-Balance-Live. Her blog is a staple in my kitchen. I've made this pizza crust a few times and it always turns out great. It's a crisp crust and is even good the next day for leftovers. Thanks Karen!

Cool Recipe: Homemade Powdered Dishwasher Detergent

2010-07-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

Heidi Kelly of Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom has the coolest recipe posted. It's for Homemade Powdered Dishwasher Detergent. I cannot review this recipe, because I am the automatic dishwasher in our house. I do dream of owning one some day and thought if I post this recipe then I won't lose track of it.

BLT Chicken Salad (SCD, GFCF)

2010-07-04T15:32:00.000-07:00

Happy July 4th!!
Bacon is just good with everything! These measurements are approximate, everyone likes theirs differently:

1 pd Chicken Breast, cooked and diced
1/3 cup Yellow or Green Onion, minced
6 slices Bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
Salt & Pepper to taste
Tomato Slices
Lettuce

Combine chicken, onion and bacon in a mixing bowl. Add mayo and seasoning and stir to combine. Line bowl or plates with a bed of lettuce. Scoop chicken salad onto lettuce. Garnish with tomatoes.

Coconut Shrimp Curry (SCD, GFCF)

2010-06-27T16:59:00.000-07:00

This recipe was adapted from "The Ubiquitous Shrimp" by Judith Choate. It wasn't just adapted for the SCD, it was adapted for what I had on hand at the time. This dish was entirely scrounged up from my freezer and pantry. I wish I had some red bell peppers and cilantro on hand, they would have worked well. The original recipe called for cashews which I did not have, but you may want to add. This recipe makes a lot, which is on purpose. I wanted to have extra to freeze for lunches and busy nights. This is also my submission for this months "Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free". The fabulous Zoe of "Z's Cup of Tea" is hosting and the theme is Dairy Free Delights

2 TBSP Oil
1 TBSP Fresh Ginger, minced
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 TBSP Madras Style Curry Powder
Cayenne to Taste (Optional)
Salt to Taste
1 1/2 cups Coconut Milk
1 (12 oz) Bag Frozen Mango, thawed (or fresh)
8 oz Clam Juice
1 TBSP Lemon Juice
1 (10 oz) Bag Frozen Green Beans
1 cup Carrots, in match sticks
1 Red Bell Pepper, julienned
1 (2 lb) bag Shrimp, shelled
Green Onions(about 4), sliced for Garnish
Cilantro

Run shrimp under cold water to thaw. Puree mango in a blender.

In a large wok or frying pan. Heat oil. Saute ginger, garlic and spices for a minute or two. Stir in coconut milk. Stir in clam juice. Stir in mango and lemon juice. Add veggies and cook to simmer until veggies are close to your liking. Stir in shrimp and cook for 5 minutes or until shrimp is pink.

Here is a link for Madras Curry Powder or you can try one part Tumeric with one part Chili Powder.

Ed's Portobello Burgers (SCD, GFCF)

2010-06-16T18:04:00.000-07:00

This is also my submission for the Gluten-Free Homemaker's "Gluten-Free Wednesdays". In addition to Gluten-Free Wednesdays she also hold a monthy gluten-free challenge. The theme for this Wednesday and June is "Create a Burger". If you go to her site and click on her "Monthly Challenge" tab, she has ooodles of Gluten-Free recipes from these challenges. It's like a giant gluten-free recipe source. Very Cool!!!

What ever happened to the "Men's Favorites" section in cookbooks? Why did it go away? I think it would have made more sense to keep that section and add another for "Women's Favorites". We could fill a section with chocolate and jewelry (although I'm much more fond of chocolate).

Here's a grilled He-Man burger for Father's Day. The portobello's make a moist and flavorful bun. These are Eddie's instructions:

Ground Meat for Burgers (season with salt and pepper)
Cheese slices (Optional)
Two Portobello Mushroom caps for each burger

Heat grill to 400 degrees. Form meat into patties. Grill patties and mushroom caps until desired doneness. The mushrooms do best if there is a top shelf. Top with cheese and serve.

Gluten-Free Restaurant Review: Loonie's Place

2010-06-13T12:29:00.000-07:00

They grow up so fast! It seems like just yesterday my son was four...and now he's opened up his own restaurant (he just turned 5). It's called "Loonie's Place", named after his favorite balloon. Diners have their choice of several seating locations. For book lovers, there is the spot right in front of the bookcase:

For starry-eyed lovers there is a cozy spot behind the couch:

For informal dates and lunches there is the "beach" theme table (Can I get an extra bucket for my other butt cheek please?):

Here is bistro-style ambiance:

Here is the Chef's kitchen:

His specialty is Blueberry Cake and Banana Cake. Gluten-Free of course.

Father's Day Cake Ideas

2010-06-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

Matt of Tiepedia.com sent me this post for Fathers Day cakes. Although it's probably not GF or SCD, it is cute:

Not Your Ordinary Father's Day Ties

If you have a tie fetish you'll want to bookmark this site.

Thanks Matt!

What's the Fat on Breakfast?

2010-06-04T09:32:00.000-07:00

For some reason I have to start my day with a high fat breakfast. If I don't then I can't make it to lunch and I just don't feel right. I could eat a plate of veggies for dinner and be fine, but for some reason I need that fat in the mornings like some folks need coffee. So I found this article very interesting:

Bacon or Bagels? Higher Fat at Breakfast May Be Healthier Than You Think

Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free May Recipe Roundup

2010-05-30T06:59:00.001-07:00

You Say Jelly, I Say Jello

First of all I want to thank Naomi Devlin of Straight into Bed Cakefree and Dried, the creative founder of this gluten-free blog carnival. This was such a pleasure to do. Thank You Naomi!

When you think of jello, do you think of rubbery cubes of Red 40? If so, your image of gelatin is about to change for the better...

Rajasharee of Flipbook Kitchen takes us to India in the summertime for cool and exotic Mango Kulfi. Her new website features GF,SCD and Vegetarian dishes. Let's give her a warm welcome.

Heidi Kelly of Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom presents a cool recipe called Funny Oranges. How creative!!

Denise of Free to Feast gives us something great to go with our GF toast, Blackberry Jam. I think this is Denise's first GAHIGF, so stop by to welcome her. Free to Feast is GF and SCD.

Zoe of Z's Cup of Tea brings us Strawberry Mousse, elegant, Dairy-Free and SCD.

Ina of Gluten-Free Delightfully Delicious helps us chill with Blueberry Pomegranite Jellied Smoothie. Ina is another first timer to GAHIGF, so be sure to check out her beautiful site.

I have two submissions. This one is The Real Deal Strawberry Jello.

This is my other submission, Coffee Panna Cotta. This is a rich and creamy coffee dessert perfect for warm weather.

This luscious Banana Cream Pie is from Aubrie Cherie of Living Free. A tempting dessert that is also Dairy-Free and refined Sugar-Free.

To finish, here's another gorgeous Dairy-Free and refined Sugar-Free dessert, Coconut Almond Panna Cotta from Sheryl of Breaking Bread. (Scroll to the bottom of Sheryl's post for this recipe)

Gelatin is such a creative avenue for Gluten-Free fare. I'd like to think it's heyday isn't over. I hope these bloggers will inspire you.

The host for next month's Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free is Penny of the Elysium Eatery with the theme All Things Yogurt.

Coffee Panna Cotta (GF)

2010-05-29T06:55:00.001-07:00

This is one of the few times I will be posting a GF recipes that is not SCD legal. I love coffee desserts and I've had this idea to try for a couple years now. I thought this months Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free theme would be a good time to post it.

It was not my intent to have it with separate layers. I do not know the culinary science behind why it did this, but I thought it looked cool. If you are a coffee lover I think you'll enjoy this.

Note: This recipe is not SCD legal

2 cups Whipping or Heavy Cream
1 3/4 cups Strong Black Coffee
1/2 cup Rapadura or Sugar (the Rapadura adds a nice depth)
1 teas. Vanilla
2 packets Knox Gelatin

In a medium bowl(I use a 4 cup Pyrex cup), add 1/2 cup of the cream and sprinkle the gelatin on top to absorb. A few minutes later, add hot coffee and stir.

Put the rest of the cream and sugar in a saucepan and cook over medium heat just until it begins to heat up and melt the sugar. Add vanilla. Pour into coffee mixture. When it has cooled to room temperature, pour into parfait glasses or goblets and chill until set.

The Dangers of Antacids and PPI's

2010-05-27T08:05:00.000-07:00

If you or someone you know has Heartburn, GERD, Acid Reflux or has been taking antacids or PPI's (such as Nexium) please take a few moments to read about these. Chris at The Healthy Skeptic has done an excellent job covering this topic:

FDA sounds alarm on dangers of antacid drugs

Heartburn/GERD At the bottom of this article there are links to several more in his series on this.

Basil Chicken Salad (SCD, GFCF)

2010-05-19T18:16:00.000-07:00

I planted some basil and other herbs with my flowers this year. It's so nice to have fresh herbs on hand. You can make the basil oil the day before, it's even better. I let my crock pot cook the chicken for me while I'm at work. The next day I throw the bones and bits back into the crock pot to make broth.

1 cup Basil Leaves, rinsed
3/4 cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 cups Chicken, cooked and diced
1 10-oz container Grape or Cherry Tomatoes, sliced in half
1 small Red Onion, finely diced
2-3 TBSP Red Wine Vinegar
1 teas Dijon Mustard or Dry Mustard Powder
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper to taste

Blanch the basil in boiling water for about 5 seconds, then rinse with cold water. Squeeze out the water. Add to blender with oil and pulse to combine. You can chill it overnight for more flavor.

Add chicken, tomatoes and onion to a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, add basil oil, vinegar, mustard and garlic. Whisk until combined. Toss with chicken. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Lunch Gear

2010-05-16T16:41:00.001-07:00

Being on a special diet means taking your food along with you quite often. I take my lunch to work each day and my son takes breakfast and lunch to school. I like having lots of useful gear on hand. No one has asked me to advertise this stuff, I have just found them useful. I love these Lunchopolis Lunch Kits. The most recent one cost $22.50 and that may sound expensive but it includes the lead-free insulated lunch tote, 4 containers with lids and a 15 oz. beverage bottle, all BPA free. Our blue model with green piping came with green containers and the brown with blue piping model came with blue containers. I found ours at the local Drug Emporium but they are also available online, info at Lunchopolis
The only thing missing is a silverware case. I don't like dirty silverware floating around my lunchbox and I worry a knife or fork is going to gouge it up.

The shape of the tote is perfect for holding two bento boxes and two beverages:

I found these adorable ice packs by Rubbermaid, at Target. I think they were $3.99 each. They are also handy to have on hand in the freezer in case of kitchen burns.

The Real Deal Strawberry Gelatin (SCD, GFCF)

2010-05-07T18:46:00.000-07:00

The real taste of strawberries is great in jello, you'll never want the artificial stuff again. I used a 5 cup decorative bundt pan, but I forgot to oil it and the warm water bath was too effective, but it still tasted great.

4 cups Strawberries, sliced
Water
3/4 cup Honey
3 packs Knox Unflavored Gelatin

In a large bowl add 1 cup of water and sprinkle gelatin on top. Set aside to absorb.

Puree strawberries with an immersion blender or in a blender. Add water, if needed, to bring it back up to 4 cups. Add to a saucepan with honey and bring to a boil.

Pour some of the hot strawberry mixture, about a cup or two, on top of the gelatin. You may need to whisk to get the gelatin incorporated. Then add the rest of the hot strawberry mixture and stir to combine. Chill until set.

Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free- Theme For May

2010-04-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

I am thrilled to be hosting this month's Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free. It's a monthly blog carnival started by Naomi of Straight into Bed Cakefree and Dried. Each month has a different host with a different theme, but all recipes are gluten-free. This month's theme is:

You Say Jelly, I Say Jello

I have adored jello since childhood, which is a good thing with my southern heritage and a few years spent in Utah. Utah is considered the "Jello-Belt", and during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Utah, there were even souvenir jello pins available. Here in the south, jello salads are a staple at summertime family gatherings. Although I was in my 30's before I knew how versatile jello can really be.

North Americans tend to think of it with fruit cocktail or mooking about the local cafeteria cubed with a dollop of rubbery whipped cream. Gelatin, however, has an intriguing double life with an international flair. The Japanese and Italians are known for using coffee in gelatin desserts. Panna Cotta is a gelatin made with cream. Blancmange, made from meat and almonds in medieval times, evolved into an almond dessert in England, and then became popular in colonial America. There is an Asian version called Annin Tofu. In Asia they also serve coconut gelatin desserts. In South America, Trembleque is a coconut milk pudding, sometimes made with gelatin. There are even jellos made with tea or wine.

Gelatin can also be a savory dish too. Tomato aspic had it's heyday in the 1950's and 1960's, as well as many other jelled appetizers. In Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Cookbook(published in 1961, illustrated by Andrew Warhol), she writes "There is no more popular jellied salad than this one (Tomato Aspic Ring) made with tomato juice". Her book contains over a dozen cold salads with gelatin including Ham Mousse, Avocado Ring Salad and Salmon Salad Mold.

The real fun with gelatin is that it you can be creative with molds, parfait glasses, terrines, etc. Use the fancy crystal bowls or the "you can't hide redneck" margarine tubs. The possibilities are endless!

So break out those lovely molds, wine goblets, or your favorite recycled margarine bowl and start jellin'. Send me a picture and the link to your recipe to innerterrain@gmail.com by May 27. Your gelatin recipe has to be gluten-free, but you don't have to be a gluten-free blogger. If you do not have a blog, email the picture and the recipe and I can post it for you. Then check back at the end of the month for the Grand Finale!

For those of you who don't already have a gelatin dish in mind, here's a list of links for inspiration.

Tips For Making Jello Salad

Tomato Aspic Ring

Jellied Fruit Terrine from Joy of Baking

Strawberry Panna Cotta from Chocolate & Zucchini

Berry and Banana Terrine from Simply Recipes

Cafe Gelatin from Uma's Kitchen

Eggnog Molded Salad from Taste of Home

Annin Tofu Recipe - Japanese Creamy Almond Gelatin Dessert from Associated Content

Maple Blancmange with Almond Praline from Food Network

1876: New Jersey Blanc Mange from the New York Times

Coconut Blancmange with Mango, Blueberries & Passion Fruit from Essentially Healthy Food

Goat Cheese and Honey Blancmange from Self Magazine

Chai Tea Gelatin from AllRecipes

Earl Grey Panna Cotta at Foodista

Gelatin Coconut from Sun Hing Foods

And just for fun Qwigglegel Realistic Body Parts Gelatin Molds at Yankee Halloween

Lemony Watercress and Cauliflower Salad (SCD, GFCF)

2010-04-25T18:43:00.000-07:00

This lovely salad was inspired by a pasta salad recipe in "Greens Glorious Greens!" by Johnna Albi & Catherine Walthers. I substituted cauliflower for the pasta.

1 head Cauliflower
1 bunch Watercress
1 small Red Onion, diced
about 2/3 cup Kalamata Olives, chopped
Grated Rind of 2 small or 1 large Lemon
Juice from Lemon
4 TBSP. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste.

Cut cauliflower into bite size pieces and steam for about 8 minutes, just until tender. Run under cold water to cool. Pick watercress leaves from the stems. Rinse leaves well and spin dry. Chop slightly.

Combine cauliflower, watercress, red onion and olives in a mixing bowl. In a small bowl, whisk lemon rind, lemon juice, olive oil and seasoning until combined. Toss with veggies. Chill to allow flavors to combine.

Cheesey Sunflower Crackers (SCD)

2010-04-19T17:39:00.000-07:00

In honor of Autism Awareness month these crackers are puzzle shaped. I ordered these adorable shape cutters from the Amazon store on Melissa's Another Lunch blog.

This recipe is right out of Dana Carpender's 500 Low-Carb Recipes. It's been one of our favorite cracker recipes and can beat any prepackaged cracker. I pre-soaked and dried the sunflower seeds for better digestibility.

1 1/2 cups Sunflower Seeds, raw and shelled
6 oz Cheddar Cheese, grated (I use Alta Dena's Goat Cheese, cheddar style)
1/2 teas. Salt, plus more for tops
1/4 cup water
Chili Powder or
Coriander and Paprika
Dried Parsley, optional

Two cookie sheets, three pieces of parchment paper cut to size of cookie sheets, rubber spatula

To improve digestibility I place sunflower seeds in a mixing bowl and cover with water. Let sit 8 hours or overnight. Rinse very well. Place in a dehydrator and dry at 125 degrees for about two hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add sunflower seeds to food processor and pulse until very fine and flour-like. Add cheese and salt and pulse a few times to combine. Add 1/4 cup of water and pulse until mixture forms a ball. I pat into two balls, placing each between two sheets of parchment paper and rolling out to a thin wafer thickness. Peel off top paper and sprinkle with salt and chili powder (or coriander and paprika). Sprinkle with dried parsley (optional). Score into squares with a spatula. Bake about 30 minutes, checking after 25 minutes. Let cool before breaking into squares.